Crashing Waves
by dexterously-inept
Summary: While a lonely princess worries that the world is simply too big for her, she catches the attention of a young merman too adventurous for his own good. Will they be able to transcend the gap between their worlds, or will their love prove to be as fleeting as the changing tides?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A similar love story in a different time. Written simply because I wanted to write a romance story. Ariel and Eric tie in at the end of the story, but it will seem entirely uninvolved from the film up until the end (and even then, this is mostly an original story in the same universe).**

 **I do not claim ownership to anything in this story.**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter One**

* * *

Elise Adeler had always been considered rather strange. Withdrawn and quiet, her wide green eyes always seemed vacant, as though she was only present in a physical sense, her consciousness constantly wandering to far off corners of her mind. Her caretakers and other members of her palace staff expressed concern about her peculiar nature to her parents throughout the years, but to a royal family, children like Princess Elise were a blessing; beautiful and silent, like a perfect doll to be shown off when needed, and forgotten about when not.

And her parents sadly forgot about her often, the hectic lifestyle that came along with running a kingdom sweeping them away from their only child more often than not, leaving Elise to entertain herself for years on end. This made her independent to the point of loneliness, growing up without many true friends in the world, and instead finding comfort through text. Elise was frequently found reading by the sea if her palace duties permitted it, her tiny body tucked up amongst the rocks by the shore, the salty sea air tussling her long, chocolate brown locks.

But Elise never despaired, nor did she resent her parents for their limited time with her. She loved her parents dearly, and cherished the time they spent together, just as her parents enjoyed every second with their daughter. She would instead appreciate the beautiful ocean that surrounded her, and the hot sun that beat down on her wavy hair, bringing out faint freckles over her cheeks and nose.

Overall, she was a happy girl. For a time, at least. Upon reflection, Elise knew that her contentment would be sure to end; all good things came to an end, in time.

Her mother's death was a sudden one: the Queen was a strong woman, tall and graceful, her beauty and cunning having secured her marriage with the King years ago. She hardly rested, but her duty to the kingdom drove her forward, and the people loved their beautiful queen for it. They later blamed her untimely death for it, her sudden collapse in court signifying the end of her reign.

Elise lost her shining optimism on that day, and she found herself sitting upon the rocky shore with tears in her eyes rather than a book in hand. She and her kingly father hardly ever spoke; the dynamic was even more strained without the Queen. When her father remarried years later, Elise was entirely pushed to the side.

Her duties as heir were simple, and aside from balls and important dinners, she was hardly seen within the palace. The King was now distracted by his new wife, Emma; the widow of a powerful lord from their kingdom. She was a cold woman, manipulative and calculating. Her beauty was also a cold one to behold: black hair formed a harsh widow's peak, her dark features striking against her pale white skin. With her she brought a son, a young man of twenty-one, only three years Elise's senior.

It was common knowledge that Queen Emma had every intention of marrying her son to Princess Elise, although Elise doubted that her father would consent to such a marriage. The young princess had never entertained the notions of an arranged marriage in the past, finding the entire situation too cold and unfeeling to be healthy. With her father's reign having been so stable and prosperous, she didn't think there was a need. She hoped that her father's love for her exceeded his greed.

But Elise, now nineteen, was of ripe marrying age, and found herself frequently worrying about what the future may hold for her. She found her mind drifting to the familiar subject as she submerged her bare feet in the cool ocean waters, the edges of her skirts now wet with saltwater.

She was feeling rather gloomy on that day, a mood that she was becoming increasingly familiar with, and sighed heavily.

"Come now Elise, none of that," she scolded herself quietly, her voice nearly lost among the sounds of the ocean. "Father's just about forgotten about you, I doubt your future is a very pressing issue at the moment."

 _Nothing will change for a while,_ she thought, lost in melancholy. _People come and go, but my life remains the same._

She may have been a princess, but Elise's life never seemed to be of much importance to anyone.

* * *

Several feet away, while the palace allowed quiet Elise to slip from memory, a boy by the name of Jason watches her from a distance. Eyes as blue as the waters surrounding them peered over a nearby rock periodically, catches glimpses of the girl he's made a habit of observing throughout the years.

 _I wish I could swim closer_ , he thought. _I've never seen a human up close before._

Merlin, he'd hardly seen any other humans before, aside from her. He watched as she rested her back against the warm surface of the rock she frequently visited, her eyes drifting closed. Jason watched for a moment more before deciding that she'd fallen asleep, dipping his head back beneath the surface of the water, a slight smile on his face.

Elise had a way of always making him smile, despite the fact that they'd never officially met. Jason had discovered her peculiar habit of sitting out by the sea over a year ago, and in turn made it his habit to watch over her from time to time. Her routine was strange; most of the humans from the palace observed the sea from the sandy shore, but Elise climbed over the rocks, hopping from surface to surface, until she was too far away from the palace to be seen. And then she'd sit for hours, either reading, talking to herself, or simply gazing out at the scenery.

She was a strange little human, and Jason found himself infatuated by her. She was beautiful, and although she seemed to be his age, he found her incredibly intimidating. She had a certain grace and maturity that other teenagers lacked.

 _If only humans knew we existed,_ Jason thought, not for the first time. _Then I could just go talk to her…_

A sharp clap of thunder broke him from his reverie. Jason resurfaced to find that a sudden storm had rolled in, darkening the skies. Elise was still sleeping deeply on her rock, oblivious to the sprinkling of rain that had just begun. Jason worried for her safety, unsure if she would be able to reach the shore if it began to storm. The rocks became slippery in the rain, and Jason had never seen Elise swim, only sit upon the sunbaked rocks.

For a terrifying moment, Jason feared that he would have to find a way to wake her, risking his exposure. Looking down at his bare chest and long, scaly fin, he decided that it was impossible to wake Elise without her noticing his lack of legs.

The rain fell harder, the storm building as quickly as it had started. Weather on the coast was always unpredictable and severe; storms can blow in from across the sea, turning clear blue skies black within minutes. Elise sat up abruptly, and Jason breathed a sigh of relief. Disoriented, Elise got up quickly to her feet, almost losing balance for a terrifying moment. She pressed her back to a rock, her bare feet unable to grip onto the wet rocky surface. Jason could see a look of panic on her face, even from a distance. She was a good ways away from the palace.

A flash of lightening illuminated the dark skies for a second, causing Elise to jump. She was shaking, now sitting as far away from the water as possible, her knees pulled up to her chest. _She seems terrified,_ Jason noted.

His brow furrowed in concern. It pained him to see her in such a state; calm, graceful Elise had lost her cool exterior. _This storm won't be stopping anytime soon._

Without thinking, he swam towards her.

* * *

 **A/N: Mermaid and humans in love. Who doesn't love that? Things will get more complicated later on, but this will be a pretty short-and-simple story.**

 **Please review if you've enjoyed! Reviews encourage me to update really quickly.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't usually update so quickly, but I couldn't help myself.**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

Elise was afraid of thunder – she always had been, even as a child. She hated the sounds, the darkness, the way lightening would illuminate the world for one terrifying instance. It made everything appear more sinister to her, and grey storm clouds would always mean that she was confined to the palace, unable to sit on her favorite rock by the sea due to her own paranoia.

She'd always been so careful about rain. She'd never been caught out in it like she was today, marooned on her small rock while the heavens opened up above her. Elise had never felt so small, and prayed to her mother that lightening wouldn't strike her, as it so often struck the sea. Hugging her knees, Elise buried her face into them and shook with fear.

"It isn't safe for you to stay here, you need to return to shore!" an unfamiliar voice said, startling Elise even more than the lightening. She looked up to see a man submerged in the stormy waters, his arms holding himself to the rock she sat upon. His chest was bare, and although she couldn't see the other half of him, he appeared to be entirely human: blonde wavy hair stuck to his forehead in wet clumps, piercing blue eyes staring back at her, uncertainty apparent in the cerulean orbs.

"W-who are you?" Elise asked, startled.

"I'm a friend," he said shortly. "I don't think you can make it back on the rocks. You're going to have to swim to shore."

Elise's blood ran cold, another clap of thunder causing her to jump. "I can't!"

The young man's eyes widened slightly. "You're going to have to," he snapped. "This storm is only going to get worse."

Elise shook her head frantically, panicked. "No – you don't understand – I can't swim! And I'm terrified of – " A rumble of thunder cut her off. "…storms," she finished meekly.

The boy shook his head, as though surprised by this fact. "You can't..? Never mind, I can take you back. I'm a strong swimmer," he finished with a small chuckle, as though amused by a private joke.

Elise pressed her back against the rock, attempting to shuffle away from the friendly stranger. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea," she said uneasily.

The boy ran his hand back through his hair exasperatedly. "You have a reason to be afraid of storms right now. It's either come with me or risk getting hit by lightning!" As if on cue, another flash of lightening lit up the sky.

Elise was now edging towards him, sliding forward on her rear end. The boy held out a hand to assist her into the water, and she slid in with a small splash, frantically clinging to the indecent stranger beside her. _My mother would have a fit if she saw me now…_

The boy held onto her tightly with one arm, the other still securing their position on the rock. He turned his head to look at her, his face inches from hers. "All set?" he asked with a good-humored smile on his face. She nodded, her eyes wide, and they began to move.

Elise's grip on the stranger tightened when he began to swim. _We're moving too fast,_ she thought. And indeed they were, for there was no way that this stranger could swim so well in the choppy waters by himself, let alone with a grown woman clinging to his side. Soon enough they reached the shores and her feet touched the wet sand. Still holding onto her savior, she leaned in to whisper into his ear before releasing him: "Meet me again tomorrow, please," she said, letting go and rising from the water.

Once safely on shore, she turned to catch another glimpse of the mysterious young man, just in time to see a blue, scaly fin surface before sliding back into the water, leaving Elise dumbfounded on the beach.

* * *

Jason couldn't believe how reckless he'd been. Bellow the choppy surface of the stormy world above, life under the sea was calm, as it always was. The storm didn't affect them, aside from the lack of filtered sunlight leaking down into their world.

Jason, however, was anything but calm. He'd spoken to Elise. _Actually_ spoken to her! Jason didn't know whether to be ecstatic or terrified with his own stupidity. _Perhaps a mixture of both_ , he decided, finding himself smiling again despite everything.

He'd exposed himself to a human – willingly! It was against the laws of the Merfolk; his own father had made the law himself.

But this was Elise, and he certainly didn't think of her as he would any human. He couldn't entirely regret his encounter with her, no matter how strange, because he'd dreamed about such an occurrence for over a year now. He swore he could still feel her warm body pressed up against his, the sweet smell of her still embedded in his sinuses.

 _And she was even more beautiful up close,_ he thought. He smiled again, remembering her wide green eyes staring back into his, their faces inches apart, her full lips slightly parted. He could've counted the freckles on her nose if he'd wanted to.

 _"Meet me again tomorrow, please."_

Her last words were still ringing in his ears. Excitement bubbled within him, and he smiled despite himself. While the rational part of himself shook its head disapprovingly, his heart sored; he was going to see her again, to speak with her as he'd so often wished he was able to do!

No, he _shouldn't_ see her again. It was against the law, and his father would surely punish him for such an interaction. But Jason had no patience for rationality at the moment.

He would see her tomorrow, he decided. He had to.

* * *

Elise sat by her window, rain pelting the glass, as she stared out over the grey waters and brushed her long hair. Having returned to the castle and bathed, her encounter with the strange man was the only thing occupying her thoughts.

 _Not man,_ she corrected herself internally. _I suppose the right word is Merman._

The conclusion still felt surreal to her, but – astoundingly enough – there was simply no other rational explanation for her savior, one, finding her in such a strange spot, and two, having a literal fin account for half of his body.

Elise took a deep breath to avoid slipping into hysterics. She was sure she hadn't imagined it – she could still see the blue scales clearly in her mind! But that didn't make the observation any more palpable. It simply didn't _feel_ real.

 _I'll have my answer tomorrow, hopefully._ She did indeed hope the young man would return tomorrow, at her usual resting place. She needed answers, if only to ensure herself that she wasn't entirely mad.

And, she supposed, it would be nice to thank him. She may have very well still been stranded on her rock had it not been for him.

With a sigh, Elise retreated back into her room and climbed into bed, the warm covers chasing away the chill of the storm.

 _Tomorrow,_ she told herself again as sleep overtook her. _I'll have my answers tomorrow._

* * *

 **A/N: I tend to favor Elise's POV, but that's just because the plot becomes more developed later on in her side of the world.**

 **If you're enjoying so far PLEASE REVIEW! Seriously, reviews mean the world to me. I tend to lose interest in writing a story with reviews to encourage my progress.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed. Seriously, my updates will come so much quicker if I have a few reviews to keep me motivated.**

 **This chapter will be nice and fluffy. Not too much conflict yet, I'm afraid. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

Sleep proved elusive to Jason that night. He simply couldn't get a certain human out of his mind; the excitement from the day before refused to let him rest. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, and he stared blankly up at the ceiling of his spacious room, watching the occasional bubble drift lazily to the surface.

Elise was all he could think about, excitement fizzing within him at the very thought of their meeting the next day. He'd never truly spoken to a human, only witnessed the strange creatures on their enormous ships, or strolling casually along the shore. Their world was a complete mystery to the young merman, and the thought of having any insight into the lives of a _human_ was incredible.

Especially if the human was Elise. She entranced him in a way that no other human – or mermaid – ever had before. And while he felt such great anticipation for their meeting, he also felt his nerves gnawing away at his insides. Meeting a human in the open meant risking getting caught, and the punishment for such a crime would be severe.

" _Humans are dangerous,"_ he recalled his father telling him once, long ago after Jason had broached the subject. _"Our kind is better off without them making a mess of things."_

Jason had feigned understanding at the time, although he still couldn't grasp his father's paranoia. He refused to believe that a species so innovative and intelligent could be so inherently _bad._ And more importantly, he refused to believe that Elise was bad. She was so unlike anyone he'd ever seen, with her quiet introspective nature, as well as her fondness for knowledge.

 _She isn't harsh on the eyes either,_ he thought wryly, unable to conceal a small smile.

No, humans weren't all bad, he decided, just as Merfolk weren't entirely good. Generalizations bred ignorance, and Jason refused to give in to such ignorance. He may be third in line to King of the sea, but Jason decided long ago that he would make up his own mind, rather than simply becoming the perfect royal son.

 _I suppose Elise has done the same thing,_ he thought with another smile.

Jason peered out his window to see faint rays of sunlight filtering into Atlantis, life under the sea beginning to stir once again. Jason felt another twinge of nerves wash over him, not just due to the fact that he would be breaking the law shortly, but because of the young princess.

Would she shun him? Would the shock of discovering the existence of Merfolk prove to be too much for the human to handle?

Jason sat up in bed, deciding to give up on the hope of rest for the night, and ran a hand back through his hair. There was no sense in worrying now; he would receive his answers soon enough.

* * *

Elise stayed true to her word, and Jason found her standing on her flat rock, tucked into the shadows and wringing her tiny hands. She appeared nervous, and her emerald green eyes scanned the horizon frequently. Not wishing to keep her waiting, Jason ducked beneath the water and swam around the side of her waiting place, surfacing quietly so as not to alert her immediately to his arrival. Jason felt oddly in control, being so close to her without her being aware yet of his presence.

"Nice to see you again," he said, making the girl before him jump.

Elise spun around quickly to face him, making eye contact with the young merman immediately. "Oh!" she exclaimed, clutching her chest. "Nice to see you again as well."

Jason took a moment to observe her before speaking again. She wore a simple dress of a plain cream-colored fabric, light and airy to suit the warm weather, with a sheer fabric printed with small yellow flowers over the skirt. The top of the dress was simple, with three buttons over her bust and loose sleeves that covered the upper half of her arms. Her chocolate brown curls were pinned back from her face, the rest flowing freely down her back. She looked lovely, and Jason swallowed nervously at the sight of her.

Elise then kneeled down before him, holding out a dainty hand. "I'd like to thank you for helping me yesterday. It was rather foolish of me to fall asleep like that, I don't know what I would have done were it not for you," she said. Her voice was quiet, yet she spoke with a certain assertion that gave her words power. She had a soft spoken dignity about her, and Jason appreciated her shy grace. He too held out a hand, wet with salt water, and grasped hers, shaking it firmly.

"It was no problem," was all he said in response.

Elise shifted backwards, kicking her legs out to the side and sitting down. She looked at him for a moment, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied him. Her wide green eyes drifted uncertainly down to his bottom half before quickly returning to his face.

"I – um – do have some questions though, if you don't mind," she nearly mumbled, a blush creeping to her face.

Jason smiled reassuringly, chuckling slightly. "I'd be surprised if you didn't have questions," he admitted. "Mind if I take a seat?" Jason motioned to the vacant stretch of rock to the right of her.

"No, of course, go right ahead," she replied in a polite, formal tone, clearly utilizing the years of etiquette training a girl of her social class would have been provided with. Jason lifted himself up to sit beside her, finally on equal ground with the princess.

No longer in the water, Jason could see that he sat several inches taller than Elise. She now had to look up at him rather than gazing down. Jason preferred this to their previous situation, despite his lack of mobility on solid ground.

Elise all but openly gawked at Jason's fin, her wideset eyes seeming to consume her entire face and her mouth opening in shock. "How is this possible?" she blurted, her previous ideas of formality seemingly forgotten.

"How is _what_ possible, exactly?" Jason asked.

"This – " she gestured to Jason's fin, her expression curios. "You!" She paused for a moment, grimacing at her poor choice of words. "I'm sorry, that sounded rude. Let me start over." She took a deep breath. "I've read about your kind in books, but I've always assumed it fiction. Merfolk don't exist to humans, and yet you're sitting here before me. How is any of this possible?"

Jason nervously ran his hand through his blonde curls, trying to think of a proper answer. "I supposed it's possible for the same reasons humans are possible. We just – exist. I guess," he finished lamely, his answer seeming an inadequate response to the question posed. Jason shifted uncomfortably under Elise's intense, skeptical gaze.

Elise shifted her gaze to the ground in front of her as though deep in thought. She nodded slowly, seeming satisfied with Jason's meek answer. "How does everyone think that you're a myth, then? If you've always existed, how is it that no one has ever discovered your kind before?" she asked after a pause.

Jason took a deep breath before plunging into an explanation – simplified as it was – of the workings of his world. He told her of Atlantis, and of the Merfolk's relations with the aquatic animals under the sea. He also told her of his father's strict laws against interacting with humans, to which she seemed deeply distraught.

"But surely we could benefit from interacting with one another!" she blurt out in surprise. "Of course, some would have unkind intentions, but think of the things we could learn from one another!" Jason couldn't help but smile at that. Her thirst for knowledge was so evident in her face; her eyes were hungry, sparkling with exhilaration at what she'd just discovered.

"I agree," Jason admitted. "But my father is set in his ways. So you have to promise not to tell anyone else about me, or else I won't be able to return."

Elise nodded. "No, of course," she said. "I understand."

And they simply continued along this line of conversation for hours, both parties eager to learn about the other. Elise told him of elaborate balls with the lord and ladies of the kingdom, while Jason told tales of shark attacks and sunken ships full of ancient treasures. The two conversed easily, laughing and joking as if they were old friends.

No longer intimidated by the young woman beside him, Jason found the courage to ask the simple question that had been bothering him since the day before: "If you don't mind my asking, why did you never learn to swim when you live so close to the ocean?"

Elise shifted in her seat, sighing. "My parents thought it _unladylike_ for me to spend my time in the water. My mother especially, so I was never taught."

This fact troubled Jason. Her habits became dangerous without the ability to swim, and for a moment he wondered what would have happened had he not have been there the day before to escort the princess back to shore.

"I can teach you, if you'd like," he offered nervously. "It's unsafe for you to not know how to swim."

Elise looked at him for a moment, the setting sun behind her bringing out streaks of auburn in her hair. After a pause, she grinned at him, the gesture so genuine Jason couldn't help but return it. "I'd like that," she said quietly.

Jason peered over her shoulder, the slowly sinking sun signifying that it was time for them both to retire. "Until tomorrow, then?" he asked, holding out his hand to shake hers for a second time.

Elise giggled lightly, taking his hand in hers. "Until tomorrow," she repeated.

* * *

 **A/N: Their first meeting! I think it went alright. I don't want things to heat up too quickly, but I didn't want it to be awkward either. Let me know what you think and REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you once again for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this next installment.**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Four**

* * *

"Miss Elise?" her tutor snapped harshly, snapping her out of a daze. "You'll find that education is truly worthless when the pupil isn't willing to _pay attention._ "

Elise rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, casting one last look of longing out the window. The day was beautiful; the sun was shining, the waters causing cascades of glittering sapphires to spray the rocky shore as each azure wave washed over it. Elise sighed inwardly, wishing that her history tutor would dismiss her for the day.

"You're right, sir," she said politely. "I apologize."

"Yes, alright," he nodded curtly. "Well then, as I was saying…"

Elise looked at the old man before her putting up an attentive front, then proceeding to tune him out. Education, to Elise, was of the upmost importance, and she was very thankful for how accessible it had been made to her. However, on a day like today, her lessons fell on deaf ears, however privileged she was to have it. It was very uncharacteristic of her, and the tutor was having difficulty attaining the princess's undivided attention, never before having to vie for it.

While disappointed by her lapse in character, Elise couldn't help it. _Unless he begins spewing facts about Atlantis rather than Ancient Greece, I'm afraid I won't be of much use today,_ she thought, once again glancing out the window.

Her tutors hands fell into his lap, and he shook his head slightly, a small smile on his face. "Miss Elise, I'm afraid that will be all for our lesson today," he said, his shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.

"We're finishing early?" Elise asked, perking up in her seat. Her enthusiasm caused the old man to chuckle.

"Yes – go," he sighed. "I don't believe we'd get much accomplished today anyways."

"I'm afraid not," Elise beamed. "Thank you very much, sir. I promise I'll be on my best behavior for our next lesson."

Her companion didn't have a chance to respond; Elise practically bolted from the room, running down a long hallway. It was a rather unladylike sight to behold: the heir to the kingdom, hurrying down a corridor like a young child.

"And where are you off to in such haste?"

Elise stopped dead in her tracks, turning to look at the source of the voice. Tucked into the shadows stood her new step brother, Vincent.

"Oh, nowhere in particular," she lied, slightly winded. "Just pleased to be finished with my lessons is all."

Vincent stepped away from his hiding place and out into the light. He was a man only three years older than Elise. He had a short, stocky build, dark brown eyes, and curly black hair that always laid perfectly against his head. He wasn't an unattractive young man, but Elise always thought that he had a certain unmistakable wickedness. Something about his gaze was unsettling to her, and so she made a point to avoid him at all costs. He, however, seemed determined to pry into her life at every opportunity he found.

"Is that so?" he asked, his tone indicating that he didn't believe her.

"It is," Elise responded coolly, eyes narrowing. She disliked his tone.

"Well, since that's clearly the case, I suppose I'll deliver my piece and be on with it," he said mockingly. "I'd like to request your presence tonight for dinner. Father would like to have a family affair."

"Is that so? May I ask why?" Elise wasn't used to dining with the entire family; since the death of her mother, she had drifted away from her father. She loved him dearly, but there was a rift between them. Her father was too busy running a kingdom, and too distracted by grief and a new family to remember her frequently. She understood, and learned to accept her loneliness.

"I suppose that's to be revealed. I'll see you tonight, _sister_ ," he said the last word with a smirk, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "And make yourself presentable, I like when you look pretty," he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down Elise's spine.

She watched him retreat from where he came before continuing on her journey to the ocean, now thoroughly shaken by her strange encounter. Her mind was abuzz with possible reasons for the dinner tonight, some wild guesses, and others much more sensible. Elise attended balls and dinners with important lords and ladies, but the king never made a habit of holding a formal dinner each night. Elise normally took dinner in her room.

By the time Elise reached her and Jason's meeting place, she had properly worked herself up over a simple request. She knew she was being irrationally paranoid; perhaps her father simply wanted to spend time with his family.

 _But still,_ she thought. _Something about this feels strange to me._

"Something on your mind?"

Elise jumped at the sudden noise, turning to see Jason surfaced beside her. "Do you make a habit of sneaking up on people?" she asked, her voice slightly irritable.

Jason lifted himself up to sit beside her, smiling. "No, but I'll make a habit of sneaking up on _you_."

Elise smiled for a moment, before furrowing her brow again, slipping back into her own thoughts. Jason watched her for a moment before interrupting.

"Really, what's bothering you?" he asked, his expression one of genuine concern.

She sighed, turning back to look at him. Despite his being a stranger, Elise didn't find the question particularly invasive. She knew he was genuine in the things that he said to her; he simply had a sincerity to him that was difficult to deny.

"It's nothing really," she admitted. "My step-brother asked me to attend dinner tonight with the entire family. My father apparently has something he wishes to discuss."

Jason looked confused. "But why's that bothering you?"

"I don't know what he wants," Elise said. "I have a feeling it has to do with me, and Vincent seemed especially smug when he told me." She paused. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling."

Jason looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Intuition only goes so far. You can trust it to an extent, but don't mistake paranoia for a gut feeling," he said. "Continuing to worry about it is only going to make you upset."

Elise nodded. He was right, and she appreciated the bit of advice. Unlike the other men in her lives, Jason seemed to respect her and treat her as an equal. She was already beginning to like that particular quality.

"You're right," she said, a small smile creeping onto her face. "I'll find out sooner or later."

He returned the smile. Elise simply looked at him for a moment afterwards, appreciating his features. His blonde hair seemed to be made up of strands of gold, and she'd never seen eyes so blue before. Physically, he was very appealing, but what drew Elise so quickly to him was the way he treated her. He seemed to know her, despite their having just met, and he seemed to enjoy her company. Elise hadn't felt appreciated by anyone in such a long time, having been pushed to the side as most children of nobility were. He made her feel important.

Jason squirmed a bit under her intense gaze. "So how about we get your mind off of the palace?" he asked. "I think it's about time you learn how to swim."

* * *

 **A/N: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

 **Hope you liked this chapter (: It's a bit late, but I've been busy lately! The next chapter will be much more eventful and exciting; this was mainly a filler. As I've said before, I'm mostly writing this story for the fluff.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Time for a much anticipated dinner.**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Five**

* * *

Elise carefully plucked at her eyelashes with a small brush, delicately applying a coat of black makeup. Not accustomed to wearing makeup, she applied it lightly whenever she was expected to adorn it. Adjusting a few things with her finger, Elise took a moment to look herself over: her green eyes stood out stunningly against her thick black lashes, a bit of color naturally staining her cheeks from a day spent outdoors. Her lips were colored slightly darker, but it was hardly noticeable.

She then joined her handmaids behind a changing screen, wincing as the women tightened her corset and slipped her into her evening gown. Elise had selected a deep red gown made of satin that hugged her torso before flowing out in folds of beautiful material. The bodice was tight and long sleeved, with small white crystals sewn into it. With it went matching white jewelry and red slippers.

"Shall we put your hair up for tonight, Miss?" her maid asked. Elise simply nodded, sitting down in the chair beside her vanity and allowing the woman to twist and pin her hair into a relaxed bun atop her head, several brown curls falling loosely around her shoulders and neck.

When the entire process was finished, Elise looked herself over one last time. She looked older, that much was certain; in fact, Elise was rather unsettled by the transformation. She felt like someone of importance, whereas she was much more accustomed to being unimportant.

 _I much prefer my isolation to this feeling_ , Elise thought anxiously. Her father had requested _her_. She hadn't experienced his direct attention in years, and the sudden change left the young princess with an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

With a sigh, Elise decided to walk down to the dining hall. There was no sense in putting off the inevitable any longer. She walked slowly down the long, empty hallways, admiring the grandeur that had always surrounded her. _It's such a pity,_ she thought. _I'd rather be by the sea once again._ She felt as though her incredible privilege has simply gone to waste on someone like her. She didn't appreciate living in a castle as others did; she would be perfectly content in a small cottage.

As long as Jason were there, of course. Elise had met the merman three times, but the sense of wonder has yet to fade. She'd befriended a _merman_ , and had begun receiving swimming lessons from one. The entire concept felt so wildly improbable when she thought about it, but Elise couldn't remember a dynamic that felt more natural than the one she had with Jason; she could talk to him for hours and still be excited to return to him again the next day.

 _That's one thing to look forward to: I'm meeting him again tomorrow,_ Elise thought as she entered the grand dining hall. _No matter what happens tonight, Jason will be there in the morning._

The heels of Elise's shoes clicked on the marble floors as she walked over to the table, her chin held high and her shoulders back. To any who saw her, she appeared to be the strong future Queen she was meant to be. On the inside, however, she was trembling with anxiety. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her father.

But she could see him now, sitting at the head of the table, his Queen sitting regally beside him. Vincent sat across from his mother, to the right of the King. He rose when Elise approached, walking over to escort her to her seat. He held out an arm, and Elise gently placed a hand on it and allowed her step-brother to seat her.

"I must say, you look lovely tonight, sister," Vincent said, his voice dripping with mock gentility. Elise struggled to smile in return, knowing that his behavior was due to the presence of her father.

"Yes," the King said, smiling at her from his seat. "You look more like your mother every day."

"She's become quite the young woman," Queen Emma commented. The woman was adorned in a gown of deep midnight blue, heavy jewels hanging around her neck. Elise smiled at the compliments, politely inclining her head.

"Thank you very much. It's wonderful to see you all looking well," she said.

The princess was poured some wine, which Elise thankfully drank, and the appetizer course was brought out shortly afterwards. It was a simple green salad in a light vinaigrette with a few pieces of grilled shrimp lying on top. Elise nibbled at it quietly, adding to the polite small talk only when directly addressed. Despite being seated so closely to her family, Elise couldn't help but feel the distance between herself and the others; it was as though she were the outsider in spite of the fact that she'd lived at the palace far longer than Vincent or her step-mother.

 _You're the remnants of a broken family,_ she thought sadly. _Father's found himself a whole one instead._

The situation overall was uncomfortable, and Elise knew that her father would reveal his purpose for such a strange gathering shortly, but the young woman was very thankful for the wine. She'd already drained her first two glasses of the expensive drink, warmth spreading throughout her body as its effects became noticeable.

"Elise," her father sharply addressed her, snapping her out of her reverie. "I suppose you've heard of the recent rebellions taking place in the borderlands."

"I have," she answered simply.

"We've acquired German lands through recent trade. It seems as though many of the former Germans aren't pleased with now being Danish," Vincent interjected, as if to clarify for the sake of Elise. The princess narrowed her eyes at him; _she_ was heir to the Danish throne, she didn't enjoy being spoken to like an incompetent fool. She was well aware of what was happening within her nation's borders.

Her father didn't answer for a moment as the main course was placed in front of them. A lobster tail served with butter and potatoes sat on their platters.

"Yes, yes," King Frederick continued, looking Elise directly in the eyes. "These foolish rebellions aren't much of a threat now, but it brings unease to our citizens. The people don't enjoy any form of instability, and because of that the Germans _do_ pose a threat."

"I understand," Elise responded honestly. "Citizens doubting a monarch's ability to maintain control is always threatening."

Her father nodded, seemingly pleased with her answer. He paused for a moment, and nothing could be heard but the scraping of silver against porcelain plates. Elise mainly pushed her dinner around, unease once again overtaking her, and began sipping at a third glass of wine. She wasn't sure where her father was going with this new conversation, but it was clear that this dinner wasn't simply a way to spend time with his family.

"I believe it's time to formally name you as heir to the throne," King Frederick announced. "It will remind the people that our family line is strong and will remain in power for the foreseeable future."

Elise gaped at the man before her, her green eyes wide with shock. She knew she'd be the one to continue the line, as she was the only child that King Frederick had produced. Vincent was only related to the crown through marriage.

Queen Emma smiled at her, the expression appearing malicious to Elise rather than comforting.

"However, that leaves the issue of marriage," the King continued.

Elise's blood ran cold. The subject of marriage had always made Elise feel uncomfortable. She didn't like the idea of another man owning her, and she certainly didn't want to entrust her country to another man - another King.

"M-marriage?" she exclaimed, panic evident in her voice for the first time that evening.

"You're of a ripe marrying age, my dear," her step-mother told her. "Why wait any longer?"

"No, father – please!" she looked at him, pleading. "I-I don't think I'm ready for an engagement right now. Surely there's time?"

The older man sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Leave us," he said, clearing everyone out of the room aside from them.

For a moment the two just looked at one another, noting the changes since the last they'd met. Her father looked old, she realized suddenly, and so incredibly tired. He had deep lines around his eyes and mouth, his once dark hair now peppered with grey.

"You really do look like your mother," he said sadly, a sudden paternal warmth to his voice. Elise smiled as well, looking down at the table. "If only she were here to see you today."

"I miss her too," she said softly in response.

"Elise, I'm getting old," King Frederick said. "I'm healthy now, but life is uncertain. Your mother's death showed us all that. I want to be sure that my family is protected when I'm gone, and for that I need a strong line."

"But father, these things don't need to be rushed. I'm hardly a woman, I don't think I could _be_ a proper wife right now," Elise said, feeling incredibly helpless. "I'm not ready."

Frederick dragged a hand down his face, and Elise was once again shocked by how tired her once strong father now looked. "I wish I could wait for you to be ready, but we must put Denmark above our own personal comforts," he said sternly. "As your father, I don't want to force you, but I have every right to. Please just understand."

Elise felt tears well up in her eyes, and she cast her gaze once again down at the table. She bit her lip, her nails digging into her palms as she clenched her fists. While her unstable mood could be blamed on the wine, she acknowledged her right to be upset. It wasn't fair for him to ask for her compliance. He was never a father to her, and Elise never complained, but he now comes to her with requests.

 _I don't owe him anything,_ Elise thought bitterly. _But my duty demands that I obey._

"I understand, father," she conceded quietly.

Her father nodded. "We will begin looking at potential suitors shortly, but I will give you all the time I can." He pushed back from the table, rising and turning to exit. "I don't wish to make you unhappy. I'm sorry."

The heavy sounds of his footsteps slowly receded, leaving Elise alone in the large room. The empty space threatened to engulf her, and Elise shakily rose to her feet before hurrying out onto the beach.

The fresh salty hair rushed into her lungs, and she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. The waters were still and dark that night, the bright moon making the surface sparkle. Glancing back at the castle, Elise decided that she couldn't return just yet. She needed to get away, as she so often sought to do, and her legs began carrying her over the rocks as though by instinct.

Sitting on the familiar surface, Elise finally allowed herself to cry.

* * *

Several feet away, Jason also sought solace away from home. In fact, he hadn't been home since his departure that morning. The young merman had found himself growing less attached to the place since meeting Elise, and now that he had befriended the little human, he simply didn't want to leave solid ground. Life under the sea wasn't as interesting to him as life above it.

Jason sighed, continuing to gaze calmly out at the sea. The water was black, grey foam highlighting each wave and glittering in the moonlight. Even his world seemed more beautiful to him from a human perspective, from Elise's perspective.

 _Elise_. The very thought of her made his heart race. He'd only just officially met the woman, but he felt close to her, and picturing her beautiful face filled him with longing. He wished he could see her again before returning home, but he knew she was probably asleep, as he should be.

He hated how great their separation was; he couldn't reach her even if he wanted to.

 _No sense in thinking about it now,_ he told himself. _You'll see her again tomorrow._

Just as Jason sat up, preparing to reenter the water, he heard a small sound. Sliding down into the water, the merman swam slowly over to where he had met with Elise hours before, finding the young woman curled up on the rock, tears streaming down her face.

"Elise?" he asked softly. As if by custom, she jumped, startled by his sudden appearance, and snapped her face up to look at him. Her brilliant green eyes were bloodshot and framed by watery smudges of black, her cheeks red and splotchy.

The princess wiped at her cheeks, sniffling. "What're you doing here?" she asked, her voice thick with tears. Jason lifted himself to sit beside her, as he usually did.

"Avoiding home," he told her honestly. He stooped slightly to look at her more closely, concern evident in his expression. "Why are you crying?"

Elise's lip trembled, her expression crumbling, and she suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder as she began to cry once again. Jason returned the embrace, his heart beating so hard he was afraid it may burst from his chest. They sat like that for a moment before Elise broke the embrace and pulled back, as though suddenly aware of her improper behavior.

"I-I'm sorry." She stared down at her lap. "I'm just overreacting."

"Overreacting to what?"

Emerald eyes met Jason's own bright blue. "My father wants to begin searching for potential… Husbands," Elise said quietly. "For me."

Jason's stomach dropped, the idea of Elise being married also filling the young merman with dread. He would be lying if he hadn't toyed with the idea of Elise being with, well, _him._ His attraction to her had begun almost a year ago, when he'd begun watching the human from time to time.

"I-I don't want this," Elise continued. "I never asked for any of this, it isn't _fair_."

Jason's own expression lost its usual confidence. "Surely you can't be forced into a marriage, can you?" Elise just nodded, telling him that she could indeed be forced to marry. "That isn't right. They shouldn't be allowed to take control over your life like that."

At this Elise laughed, shocking Jason with the sudden change in mood.

"You say that as though I've had control of my life in the past."

* * *

 **A/N: This might seem a bit anticlimactic, but the conflict will build in later chapters. Not so happy with the ending scene with Jason, but letting him find out about the threat of marriage allows me to begin thickening his story line sooner.**

 **As always, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the long, long delay between chapters… Better late than never?**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Six**

* * *

Elise was very tired upon her return. It was late at night, as she'd been with Jason for what must have been hours before finally retiring, and her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and tears previously shed. Her hair had come slightly unraveled, and the humidity had caused the once sleek style to fray; overall, Elise's once posh exterior had faded away, leaving behind the shell-shocked little girl she truly was.

The young princess' grief at her father's news had subsided with a bit of time, paving the way towards self-loathing. She hated this feeling of helplessness – she _always_ despised feeling so weak. She'd watched her childhood go up in flames with the death of her mother, and the bitter taste that this marriage was beginning to leave was entirely too familiar.

No, Elise was no longer sad. She was _angry._ She was _furious_ that Elise Adeler – Princess of Denmark and heir to the Danish throne – could be used as a mere pawn for political gain, but then again what had she truly expected? This was the way of the world, why had she expected to be granted better treatment than the noblewomen she'd always been surrounded with? If anything, her surprise at her proposed engagement proved her to be the ignorant, sheltered girl Elise had always attempted to distance herself from.

Of course Elise conceded to the fact that it was only natural for the subject of her marriage to come up. However, she also adamantly refused to be entirely complacent throughout the ordeal. She was her mother's child, and if the beloved Queen had taught her anything, it was that women can possess a quiet power; they simply had to know how to use it.

Manipulation and resistance. Elise had a feeling that she would become incredibly acquainted with those two concepts in the near future.

"Lady Elise!" a squeaky voice called from the end of the hallway, snapping Elise out of her reverie. Elise turned, pausing to allow a squat, slightly-winded maid to jog up to her. "Forgive me, my lady."

Elise squared her shoulders slightly, as befitting of a noblewomen speaking to an inferior. "There's nothing to forgive," she responded kindly, a small smile on her face. "Am I needed for something?"

The woman inhaled shakily, and Elise noticed that her face looked rather pale. The princess frowned. "Y-Yes, my lady. Lord Vincent has requested your presence and is awaiting your arrival in your parlor," the maid explained. "I'm sorry, my lady. I tried to get him to come back at a more reasonable hour, but he _insisted_."

 _Vincent,_ Elise thought with a scowl. He was the last person she wished to see tonight. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and hope for pleasant dreams to make up for the awful turn her day had taken.

She could deny his summoning, but that would only incense him; Elise had always tried to distance herself from her step-brother in her few years of knowing him, but if there was one thing she'd learned it was that Vincent was prideful. In the long run, it was usually just easier to give him what he wanted.

And, judging by her maid's uneasy disposition, Vincent was in a rare mood. His farcical saccharinity did not extend to the help, it would seem.

"Very well," Elise conceded with a sigh, allowing herself to be led into her parlor.

This was one of the spaces designated to Elise – and _only_ to Elise. She was allowed to do with the space what she will, as long as it fell within the carefully laid out, albeit unspoken, rules of propriety. Because this was _Elise_ , a girl who spent more time outside than within the stifling confines of the castle, she'd simply turned the space into a personal library. It held many tall bookcases, lined with elaborately titled books, as well as a long desk and sitting area in front of a large window overlooking the coast.

In front of said window stood Vincent, his tall, dark silhouette nothing more than a sinister shadow against the starry night sky. He'd had the servants keep the room rather dark, with only a few feeble candles flickering on their posts. This made Elise nervous, and her proud posture wilted slightly.

"It's a bit late to still be _out_ , don't you think?" Vincent said in a low voice. He didn't turn around to face her, but Elise could hear his foul mood in his tone.

 _What, finished with the formalities?_ Elise thought mockingly, her mood still dark. _Two can play at that game._

"Don't like to be kept waiting, do you?" she sniffed, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.

Elise watched the young man's posture visibly stiffen. His pride left him vulnerable, and Elise wondered if he had enough sense to even attempt to disguise it. It would make toying with him entirely too easy, and the princess had to admit that she was in the mood for a fight.

For just this once, she would drop her demure façade and attempt to achieve some sense of justice for herself.

"You have no right to keep me waiting," he snapped, turning to face her. His expression was cold, and once again Elise found her stony disposition wavering slightly. How could this _swine_ make her so inexplicably nervous?

Her nerves quickly subsided, anger flooding her veins in replacement. She'd been ordered around enough for one night.

"You have no right to speak to me in such a way!" Elise nearly shouted, her helplessness and anger having finally found a scapegoat. " _I_ am Princess Elise, a trueborn heir to Adeler family. I'm of royal blood, and you're connected by nothing more than _marriage_." She smiled at his dumbfounded expression; he seemed temporarily at a loss, her sudden courage shocking him into silence. "If anyone has outstepped their boundaries, it's _you_."

Vincent's head snapped up, revealing a vicious expression, and he lunged forward, seizing her tiny wrist in his hand. He wrenched her closer to him, her arm twisting painfully and his grip so tight she was sure it would leave bruises. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out in pain.

"You're nothing more than a name," he growled, inches from her face.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" she spat back, refusing to give him an inch despite her fear. He was much bigger than Elise, not to mention his strength clearly overpowered her own. She was dangerously close to allowing her anger to put her into an even more threatening situation.

Vincent's lip curled in annoyance, and he twisted her arm a bit further. This time Elise couldn't help but let out a whimper. "You'd better watch it, girl. I don't know what you're up to, but no one up to any good disappears for hours with nothing to show for it." Vincent was truly angry now. "Your father should've tightened the leash on you long ago. The least he can do is pass it on to someone else."

Elise's jaw set, her teeth grinding in anger. She met his eyes defiantly. "Is that why you've sent for me? To put me in my place?"

At this Vincent smiled, releasing his hold on her and shoving her back lightly, putting some much needed distance between the two of them. "No, there will be time enough for that," he said with a chuckle. "I simply wanted to spend some time with my lovely _sister_. I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of _time_ together in the future."

He walked past her, Elise's fire now having died down, leaving behind a cold, empty feeling. She heard his footsteps pause behind her.

"Oh, and don't worry yourself with the matter of my name," he told her. "You'd be surprised how affectivemarriage can be."

Elise's eyes widened as the impact of his words reached her. Vincent's heavy footsteps receded, leaving her alone in the dimly lit study.

The cold sensation grew within her, and Elise suddenly felt weak. Her pulse thudding loudly in her ears, the world seeming to spin around her.

" _You'd be surprised how affective marriage can be."_

He hadn't come right out and said it, but Elise wasn't a stupid woman, at least not in this sense; she understood, and so Vincent had gotten what he'd come for. He'd come to taunt her, to torment her, and to show her what the future held.

Elise couldn't take so much in one day. In one day, every bit of freedom she'd managed to somehow secure for herself had been swept away, leaving her spiraling and alone. She was no princess – she was nothing more than a toy, her treatment in the face of womanhood had shown her that much.

Her breathing growing shallow and her heart continuing to race, Elise's world suddenly went dark.

* * *

Jason's dreams were strange that night.

Not for the first time, his subconscious mind had drifted to the young princess that had captured his affections. Only, unlike his previous dreams, this one was entirely devoid of the happiness usually felt in her presence.

Sitting in her usual meeting place, Jason could see her from the water, calling out to him, beckoning him to join her. She seemed happy, from a distance, and he gleefully began to venture towards her. However, as he got closer, her cries seemed to grow more frantic; tears streamed down her cheeks, and her voice grew louder, more desperate.

Jason felt frantic in his attempts to reach her, but no matter how quickly he swam, she always seemed to get further away. At first his pace was quick enough to remain close to her, but she seemed to begin speeding away, her cries growing quieter as her rock became a mere dot on the horizon.

He awoke with a start, the feeling of unease lingering. It was dawn when he woke, and he groaned tiredly. He hadn't been able to secure a good night's sleep in what felt like _ages_ , and despite the exuberance that Elise had injected into his life, he was beginning to feel the effects of exhaustion.

But he was amazed to have fallen asleep at all, after the news Elise had delivered to him the previous night.

 _She was getting married._

The fact didn't seem real to him. The prospect of his marriage hadn't even been broached by his father – Merlin, his oldest brother was still a proud bachelor! In what world was nineteen the proper age to marry?

Not for the first time, Jason felt the draining impact of their separation. He'd always been distant towards life under the sea, instead preferring to spend his time exploring. At first with his brothers by his side, and later by himself, when their palace duties became too great to ignore.

For this reason, Jason was very glad to be the third son. His father expected little of him – especially considering his tendency to get into trouble – and so he offered little in return.

But that didn't change the fact that he was a _Merman._ No amount of exploration, of time spent on solid ground, could change that. He felt incredibly helpless; last night, he could do nothing as Elise cried in his arms. He could do nothing to satisfy his longing for her.

Or at least, nothing that he knew of. Jason smiled a bit, a newfound determination washing over him. He wasn't one to simply _give up_. He was nothing if not a fighter. And so he would find a way, he simply had to.

Yes, for Elise, he would find a way. He would search every corner of the sea in order to reach her, to truly be with her, and most importantly, to protect her.

* * *

It was midmorning when Elise woke. For a moment she simply stared up at the ceiling of her room, confused as to how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was her parlor, and Vincent, and all at once the horrible things she'd discovered came flooding back to her.

 _I'm to marry Vincent._

Panic surged through her again, her heart racing, and she attempted to sit up. A gentle hand placed itself on her shoulder, though, preventing her from doing so. Elise looked up to see her step-mother, Queen Emma, standing over her with a smile on her face. The young princess nearly scowled for all the similarities between the woman and her wretched son.

Like Vincent, the Queen had dark hair and eyes, as well as impish, untrustworthy features. A harsh widow's peak framed her pale face, and a gown of dark material continued the striking contrast.

"Hm, you're awake?" she asked, her voice smooth. "You took quite a fall. You're lucky that Vincent happened to find you."

Elise simply grit her teeth. She could tell by the woman's tone that she knew _exactly_ the nature of her son's encounter with the princess; she was rather telling her what to say, telling her that what _really happened_ wouldn't be repeated to anyone.

But the pain in her wrist told her that she hadn't been dreaming. Holding up her arm, finger-shaped bruises could be made out.

"You really should be more careful," she continued, eyes on her bruises. "You and your father, both so careless when it comes to your own health. Without Vincent and myself, well, who knows what would happen to your family?"

Elise felt the color drain from her face, the meaning beneath her words sinking in:

' _You and your father are not safe from us. Step out of line, and we will punish you.'_

Queen Emma smiled as her step-daughter's eyes widened, patting her cheek affectionately before turning to leave.

"Rest well," she said, shutting the door behind her, leaving the young girl alone. The threat still seemed to hang heavily in the air.

She hadn't said it outright, but she needn't be too obvious in the world of nobility. Like Elise, Queen Emma was well-versed in the subtle manipulations of their world.

However, unlike Elise, Emma had just established herself as the dominate player in this dangerous game. The princess was no fool – Emma had come to her in order to intimidate her, to show her the power she could wield over her.

' _See?'_ the Queen taunted. _'See how I can threaten you, torment you? You are not safe from me.'_

And neither was her father. Her tiny family, so broken and dysfunctional, was all she had in this empty palace, and this woman was threatening to take it away from her.

Elise felt the tears on her cheeks before she knew she was shedding them, and she knew that she would heed Queen Emma's warning.

No matter what happened to her, she wouldn't risk losing the remainder of her family.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so sorry! This chapter has been LONG overdue. But here it is, I apologize if it doesn't make up for lost time. I admittedly rushed the ending a bit in an attempt to update a little quicker!**

 **But still, let me know what you think (REVIEW!). Things are starting to thicken a bit, so the chapters to come should be more eventful. It's summer break for me now so updates should come quicker than before!**

 **And since I'll have so much time on my hands, I wrote and posted two other fics: one for Avatar: the Last Airbender, and one for Pokémon. The ATLA one is called "Isolation," while the Pokémon one is called "Nightmares." If you're interested in either, please give them a shot!**

 **That's it, I suppose! Thank you all for your continued support, and again I apologize for my tardiness. Graduating from high school has proven to be a much more time-consuming task than I'd anticipated, but that's in the past now!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter is going to feature Queen Emma and Vincent, almost exclusively, and it's going to jump around a bit. I think we need a bit of backstory for our main antagonists…**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Seven**

* * *

"She hasn't taken the news well."

The Queen looked up from her sewing, her husband having broken the rather comfortable silence they'd fallen into.

"Who, Elise?" she asked, waving a hand dismissively. "She'll adjust. She's a woman grown now, it's time she begin to act like it."

The King stroked his beard in thought and Emma furrowed her brow slightly; she had spent the few years they'd been married watching the man before her carefully, and she knew his mannerisms. He wasn't difficult to read, as men often weren't, and he appeared truly troubled by the issue of his daughter.

Quite frankly, Emma thought that the girl was overreacting. She was a fool if she believed that her father would allow her to remain a maiden for the remainder of her days. Young Princesses were married off to young Princes and Lords - that was simply the way things were done.

But Elise was the spitting image of the former Queen, and the King had been more devoted to that woman than he ever would be to Emma. It was one of the few vulnerabilities that she couldn't protect herself against in court, and so Emma was very careful in issues involving the King's previous family.

"I don't wish to make her unhappy. I just don't see another way." The King drug his hand down his face tiredly, as he often did.

The Queen's expression softened slightly as she looked at him. "I know, love," she said, her voice sweet. "But passing the crown to your daughter will incite the council enough as it is, she needs to be accompanied by a King if she's to be accepted. Someone loyal to Denmark, who can be trusted by the people." She waited a moment before continuing. "Someone like Vincent."

The King eyed her warily, and Emma's blood cooled a bit. She feared she'd overstepped. Emma's world relied on her being careful; her cunning was the only thing that had allowed her to ascend in this world, and it would continue to do so, but even she made mistakes.

"I've no qualms with joining our houses," he said after a long pause. "Vincent seems like a respectable boy, and I would rather leave my daughter with someone I've had influence over." Emma felt her anger flare slightly. Her son was _her_ pride, no one else's. "I would like to keep the crown within _Denmark_ , and within my immediate family. But I will have to speak to her about it, I promised her she would have some say."

 _That could prove to be problematic,_ Emma thought. The woman knew that her step-daughter had no love for her son, and she may be inclined to tell her father such. She would speak to Vincent about the matter later.

But for now, she would bite her tongue.

"Of course," she said before going back to her sewing.

* * *

No one had anticipated Queen Emma's ascension to the throne, nor did they understand it. To this day they didn't fully understand it. The girl who had started as no one seemed to become Queen overnight.

Emma was a girl born without a father and without a name. She was baseborn, the lowest of the low, and the bastard daughter of a whore. She grew up in a brothel with her mother. The girl was never forced into the trade, as many other little girls were, as she lived under her mother's protection for the most part. Emma was given the best that her mother could provide; she was taught to read and write, to dress, and to act as a young lady should.

" _I want you to do better,"_ her mother would tell her. _"Do better than your mother. It's too late for me, but you will have the world if you wish it."_

And she did wish it – with every fiber of her being, she wished it. Emma, even as a child, knew that she was better than those who surrounded her. She was beautiful: her hair black and soft, her skin the color of cream, her features delicate and even. But she was also very observant, and observant children grow up quicker than others. She noticed things about people, and she learned to use those things to her advantage.

Surrounded by drunk men constantly making unpleasant advances at her, Emma had plenty of opportunities to hone her skills in manipulation. No matter the social class of a man, they were all drawn to a brothel. Lords and peasants alike traipsed through the doors, and Emma soaked in whatever knowledge she could attain from them. She waited and listened, and the more she did so, the more she understood.

At the age of fifteen she left home. After meeting a young Lordling in her brothel, he was so taken with her that he'd offered her a job in his household. As a gesture of good will, or so he'd called it; Emma knew that her calculating nature was really to blame.

And so she became a milkmaid for a wealthy Lord, as well as the focus of his son's affections. The boy who had gotten her the job was quite smitten with her, and Emma teased the boy ruthlessly.

" _Give yourself to me, and I'll give you the world,"_ he would tell her.

But Emma was no fool. A woman's virtue may not matter in the world of a milkmaid, but she had no intention of remaining a milkmaid.

" _Be mine before God,"_ she would respond. _"And you shall have me."_

The boy's father would not allow it, despite his son's pleas. Emma was a milkmaid, not a Lady, and Lords didn't marry bastard milkmaids.

The boy assured her that were it not for his father, he would marry her. He loved her, and Emma believed him, and she in turn offered her love. She didn't _truly_ love him though; he was a weak man, plain of face and mind. What she really loved were his _titles_.

For this reason, Emma was determined to have the boy follow through on his promises. She needed to seize this opportunity, before his attentions turned to another girl. Even at fifteen, Emma had a very cynical view of the world: love, to her, didn't exist. Women were devoted and men infatuated, but never in love. That only existed in songs and stories.

The Lord was an old man, and although he was kind to his family and household, Emma knew that he had to go. His son would become Lord without him, and then he would take her as a bride. She could simply wait for death to take him itself – he was becoming decrepit, after all – but Emma liked to be in control.

At sixteen, Emma discovered the power of poison.

When a Lord is murdered, enemy houses are suspected, but never little milkmaids. In his grief, the new Lord remained true to his word and married Emma, and although there were whispers, no accusations were ever thrown at the young bride.

And so the milkmaid became a Lady, and a bastard was given a name. Emma ruled her house with the same subtle ferocity in which she did all things, and her husband remained devoted to her. She bore him three children: two twin girls who died shortly after infancy, and then a son, named Vincent, after her Lord's father.

Emma was the Lady of one of the upper houses in Denmark for many years, and although she was greatly disliked by her people, she managed to hold her position. Her new world taught her a great deal more than the brothel: she became a perfect Lady, and set up a network of spies to gather information. She would relay bits to her husband, in order to seem loyal, while she used her arsenal for herself.

Knowledge was power, but Emma learned that knowledge of _scandals_ was worth a great deal more than what was found within a book. She later became known for her ability to blackmail like no other.

No, she wasn't loved by her people. But she was _feared_ , and Emma found that far more effective than love.

When the good Queen died suddenly in court, Emma was one of the first to know, and the first to consider the opportunities such a death opened up. As a Lady of an upper house, she and her family were expected to attend the Queen's funeral. It was there that Emma would meet the King, and with the help of her spies, she hoped to catch his attention.

" _You will have the world if you wish it."_

To an extent, her mother's kind words had proved prophetic. But Emma didn't make wishes anymore, she made demands. Everything she wanted, she took.

At age twenty-nine, she became a widow. Her son was nearing manhood, and for that reason Emma almost regretted dropping her signature poison into her husband's wine glass.

 _Almost._

But Emma had known that the council was searching for a quick replacement for the former Queen, and so she made herself a prime candidate. Her late husband having a brother to take over as Lord of their household, Emma was able to devote herself to a new cause. Once again, she took what she wanted.

A bastard was nothing, but a _Queen_ was everything.

* * *

Emma made a habit of strolling the gardens with her son in the afternoons. If her schedule would permit it, she would send for her son to accompany her, and together they would walk. Neither had much love for flowers, but the gardens were one of the few places in the palace that offered some semblance of _privacy_.

It was the perfect place to coordinate her schemes with her son.

Today more than ever, Emma needed to walk with him. The issue of Vincent's engagement to Elise was a delicate one, and until its announcement, Emma had to keep a very careful eye over the young Princess and her rather thoughtless son.

Vincent arrived quickly after his mother's summoning, offering his arm to her before they began to slowly walk amongst the flowers.

"Your outburst last night has made things more difficult for us." Emma spoke first, her anger disguised by a nonchalant tone. Vincent was her son, and for that reason she loved him, but he was impulsive and arrogant. He hadn't gained the same skillset as his mother.

Vincent just scowled, his dark features furrowing nastily. "That _Princess_ is nothing more than a stupid little girl," he snapped.

Emma's jaw set and she huffed angrily. "And apparently you're nothing more than a stupid little boy," she scolded. "I've finally convinced the King that _you_ are a worthy man for his daughter, and you decide to threaten and hurt her. Did you know that you left very _tangible_ bruises on her arm?"

"She won't say anything. She may have herself convinced that she's brave, but she's really spineless." His tone sounded worried though, as it should; an accusatory word from that girl at this point could prove detrimental to their plans.

"Never underestimate your opponents." Emma slowed, unlatching herself from her son's arm before going to stand on a ledge that overlooked the sea. The ocean could be seen from all around the palace; Emma had once found this to be rather monotonous, but even she had begun to appreciate it. It provided a constant turbulence to the world around them, which she found rather comforting.

"He's going to ask her what _she thinks_ about a potential marriage to you. With finger-shaped bruises on her wrist, what exactly do you think she'll have to say?" she continued.

Vincent said nothing, his eyes widening slightly. At least he was sensible enough to realize his wrongdoings.

"I've attempted to clean up your mess," Emma told him, turning back to look at the sea. "Threats are only useful if you do so _subtly._ You are apparently incapable of making an effective threat, so you will distance yourself from her until your engagement is announced."

Emma could practically feel her son's rage emanating from him, his pride clearly wounded, but he would listen. He wasn't entirely stupid, he knew that his future relied on his mother's intelligence.

Knowledge had made her powerful, and he would be made powerful by association.

"Yes, mother," he said simply.

Emma turned to smile at him.

"Good. Now come, we have work to do."

* * *

 **A/N: Not the longest chapter, I admit, but it will do for now! I was thinking of doing a pretty fluffy chapter next. I've always had Elise and Jason meet behind the scenes because I don't want things to get too tedious, but I think a clear establishment of their relationship (with perhaps a development… get excited!) is necessary before continuing with the main plot.**

 **So, yeah, that's it! Here's our oh-so-devious Emma, and expect some Jason/Elise action soon! And I apologize for any errors in this chapter, I'm editing this story on my own and I usually wait a day before editing it a second time and posting, but I wanted to just hurry up and post this chapter.**

 **((REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW))**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! This chapter's fairly simple. I thought we needed to see Elise and Jason interacting happily before the conflict starts making things difficult.**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Eight**

* * *

She'd stood him up.

The day after the announcement of her engagement had been a hazy one; filled with anxiety over the realizations she'd made the previous night, as well as her run in with Queen Emma, Elise simply slept most of the day, urged by her maids to rest after fainting the previous night.

She awoke the following morning feeling much more optimistic. The bruises on her wrist were already beginning to yellow, and the castle seemed a bit more _normal_ than it had in the past few days. The turmoil she'd been feeling had begun to settle. While her problems were nowhere near being solved, there appeared to be a calm before the storm, and living near the sea her whole life, she knew to take advantage of it. Nothing was more brutal than a storm, especially now that Elise found herself metaphorically – and literally, to an extent – alone in the water.

But her calm was quickly replaced by another bout of panic when she realized she had planned to meet Jason the day before.

Their relationship, however small it may be, relied on dependability, and Elise immediately felt ashamed. She'd given someone her word and had failed to follow through, and a word given to _Jason_ , nonetheless! With her life in its current state, Elise hoped that the merman would present himself today as well; she couldn't bear to lose her only friend.

Elise dressed quickly. It was a warm summer day, so she wore a simple, light dress made of pale green with short sleeves, her long curls tied back with a matching green ribbon. Pleased enough with her appearance, she quietly entered a back hallway usually used for servants. It would let her out onto the beach in a different spot than usual, but she was also far less likely to run into anyone. She didn't want to risk any undesirable encounters, she needed to wait for Jason if there was any hope of seeing him again.

Soon enough she was freed from the castle, out on her rock and able to breathe freely. It felt so incredibly good to be outside again. She rarely spent a day indoors, and the effects of having done so proved to be stifling. Elise felt as though she'd wilted somehow; she was too accustomed to feeling the sun on her cheeks.

Her relief was short lived however, her anxiety returning to her. If Jason weren't to arrive – which she wouldn't blame him for, after all _she_ had been the one to stand him up – she would have no way of contacting him. Their separation terrified her.

"Well look who decided to show up."

Elise whirled around to face her friend who, as if by tradition, had suddenly surfaced beside her. She had never been happier to see him: the wavy blonde hair plastered to his forehead with seawater, with his tanned skin and twinkling blue eyes. The young woman nearly let out an audible sigh of relief.

"You came!" she exclaimed, almost throwing herself down to sit beside him, a wide grin on her face.

Jason gave her a strange look, as if thrown off by her enthusiastic reaction, but he eventually just laughed.

There was a pause before Elise spoke again. "I-I'm very sorry about yesterday!" she said suddenly, staring down at her hands. "I was asleep for most of the day and our arrangement slipped my mind. I promise it won't happen again."

Elise could feel Jason's eyes on her in the silence that followed, and she began to wring her hands in her lap, still refusing to meet his gaze.

Jason laughed again, although softer this time. "Don't worry about it," he said. "It's nothing."

Elise snapped her head up abruptly, shocking the merman yet again with her erratic behavior, her green eyes now gleaming with fierce intensity.

"I gave you my word and I failed to follow through," she told him sternly. "That isn't nothing, not for someone who's supposed to rule an entire kingdom someday."

And Elise meant that – she had truly disappointed herself. She didn't normally forget engagements with people, for it horribly reminded her of her father's abandonment following her mother's death. People were important, and forgetting about them was an insult in her eyes. Elise lacked in many ways, but she always tried to treat others with respect and compassion.

"Well then I accept your apology," he told her with a smile. "You're really something else, you know that? Are all humans like you?"

Elise cocked her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

Jason just shook his head. "You're so _moral_. When you think you messed up, you punish the hell out of yourself," he said. "I don't know anyone who cares about things as much as you do."

Elise blushed, adverting her eyes once again as she tucked a few escaped curls behind her ears. Jason's amused expression slid off his face quickly. Just as the princess was opening her mouth to speak, he grabbed her hand, gently tugging her arm towards him.

It was then that Elise realized her error: she'd lifted her injured hand to mess with her hair, and her dress had left her bruised wrist visible. She hadn't thought to conceal it before departing that morning, and Jason's stiff demeanor told her that his reaction wouldn't be slight. Jason was careful in handling her, aligning his hand with the ugly marks and enclosing her in a fist similar to the one Vincent had grasped her in.

Despite the thudding of her heartbeat in her ears, Elise couldn't help but note how nice his hands felt in comparison to her stepbrother's. His were warm and slightly calloused, and his touch was almost _too_ light, as if he feared she would break.

"Who did this to you?" he asked in a low, dangerous tone that Elise hadn't heard him use before.

Elise placed her other hand over his, her dainty fingers brushing over him. "Jason, it's really noth-"

"Don't say it's nothing, this isn't nothing!" he snapped, cutting her off. Elise blinked several times in surprise, and Jason's expression quickly softened. "I'm sorry. Could you just tell me what happened yesterday, please?"

Truth be told, Elise would prefer not to recount yesterday's events. She would rather put the awful memory behind her, to minimalize it until she's convinced herself that it truly _was_ nothing. That was how she dealt with all her problems; growing up without any true friends, she'd always lacked the support needed to work through much of anything. Introspection, while valued by Elise, could often turn one's thoughts sour over time. She'd learned that it was better not to wallow.

However, she felt as though she owed him an explanation. She couldn't help but be touched by how much he appeared to care for her.

"Vincent sent for me after I last saw you. He was angry, and I was too so I provoked him. He grabbed me and –" Elise felt tears well up in her eyes and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "H-he says that I'm to marry _him_ , and that he would keep an eye on me. I, um, fainted, and when I came to his mother was there." Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Elise's lip trembled as they streaked down her cheeks. "She told me that my father would suffer if I didn't cooperate. I-I'm so _sorry_ Jason, I'm so weak! They terrify me and I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She felt incredibly foolish, sitting beside her friend and crying once again. Elise was so _tired_ of feeling helpless, but how could it be helped? Her books did nothing to save her. She was outmatched by those around her, and she felt so hopeless. She couldn't help her father, and she certainly couldn't help herself.

Jason pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. "You shouldn't apologize for this. You aren't weak," he said, his tone more subdued than usual.

Elise laughed darkly, untangling herself from him and angrily batting the tears from her cheeks. "Is there another word for it, then?" she asked sarcastically. "I'm helpless against these people."

Jason leaned in towards her so that his intense gaze was only a few inches from hers. "You aren't weak, and you don't deserve this. These people are evil if they can do these things to someone like you."

For someone usually so carefree, Elise was shocked by Jason's seriousness. She shifted uncomfortably, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Someone like me?" she asked. "And what are you referring to?"

Jason's expression softened a bit, his blue eyes flicking around her face as though uncertain on what to settle on. "I mean you're… Amazing," he murmured. "You're smart and kind and beautiful. You can't defend yourself from these people because you're too good to stoop to their level."

Elise found herself at a loss for words. A strange tension stretched between them, one that Elise couldn't place. It was odd: she found herself entirely at ease, but there was also this incredible sense of urgency. She felt as though she _needed_ something.

No one _ever_ spoke so highly of her. She had always been the odd, quiet girl who reads a lot. She was the forgotten princess – she was only important now because of her high birth – but Jason apparently saw something in her.

Jason, who was kind himself, who always said what he thought, who she found herself becoming increasingly attached to in the few weeks of their companionship. And how awful could she truly be if someone as admirable as him could hold her in such high regard?

She was leaning in before the realization truly struck her: she needed _him_. She needed to have him, she couldn't be alone anymore.

His lips were soft and tasted like saltwater, and he reciprocated immediately. Elise looped her arms nervously around his neck while he pulled her into him, deepening their kiss.

Elise had never been kissed before, so she couldn't exactly tell if they were doing it right, but it definitely felt right. It was slow and careful, yet cautiously hungry all the same. When they had to pull back for lack of air, they simply stared at one another, unsure of what to do next.

"Don't marry him," Jason breathed, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips.

"I don't think I have a choice." The girl sighed, once again lost to her own self-loathing, as was common nowadays.

Jason kissed her again, only this time it was harsher, and he broke away far too soon. "There's something I have to do," he told her, his goofy grin returning to his face as he pulled away from her.

"What?" Elise sputtered.

"I can't let you marry some creep just because your father's telling you to," he said simply, as if it were obvious. "So I'm going to keep it from happening."

Elise gaped at him for a moment before her words returned to her. "I – Jason, there isn't anything you can do! I appreciate it, but –"

Jason brushed a piece of hair from her face. "Listen, I noticed you sitting here over a year ago," he confessed, stopping Elise's protests. "I spent a year just _noticing_ you before I actually met you. I don't want anyone to hurt you, but I'm also being pretty selfish. I don't like the idea of any guy thinking they own you."

Elise's brow furrowed in concern. She couldn't deny that she was touched by his clumsy declaration, but she was also worried. Her world was swiftly becoming a dangerous one, and she couldn't bear to see him injured because of her.

Just as she would endure anything to protect her father, she would do so for him.

"What do you have planned?" she asked him uneasily.

Jason laughed nervously, his smile crinkling his blue eyes. "I'm more of a make-it-up-as-I-go kind of guy, honestly," he said teasingly. "I always figure something out, and I'll come here every day until I do." His expression grew a bit more serious. "But when I figure it out, I'll probably just disappear for a while. I won't be able to get word back to you right away."

"Jason, I don't like the sound of that," Elise contested. "I-I'll worry about you, I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

Jason kissed her again. "Do you trust me?" he asked her softly.

Elise looked at him for a moment. Despite the fact that they'd only _officially_ met a few weeks ago, she knew that she did indeed trust him. He had done nothing but express genuine care for her, and she in turn cared for him, deeply. She nodded in response.

"Then know that I will _always_ come back to you. I'm not going to allow anything to keep me from you."

Elise's heart soared for a precious moment, her mind clinging to the bit of hope that Jason had provided her with. She smiled, her anxiety subsiding a bit.

She had to believe in him – what else did she have to believe in anymore?

"And I will always wait for you," she promised.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't know about you guys, but I've been waiting for this for a while. Jason needs to get a move on with his plan! I apologize for any errors this chapter may have, or if it seems rushed, poorly written, et cetera. I hit a bit of a block with writing this chapter for some reason. Oh well!  
More conflict to come next chapter, and as always, please review! I really enjoyed reading your reviews from the last chapter. Some of you rather enjoyed Emma's characterization, which is good considering how much of her we'll be seeing in the near future!**

 **So yeah, this story is only continuing because of you guys. Thank you so much for your help in writing** **Crashing Waves** **!**

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	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: A** **little while has passed since Elise last met Jason (a few weeks); I'll be narrating the time jump but I didn't want there to be any confusion.**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Nine**

* * *

The days had been quiet in Denmark as of late. Summer, hot and long, was finally giving way to autumn, a cool hush falling over the land in anticipation of the change.

Denmark seemed to become more subdued during fall. There were harvests to complete and a harsh winter to prepare for. It was as though a cold winter breeze had swept throughout the land, stealing the color and life right out from under them.

Some welcomed the calm, but not Elise. She found it rather unsettling. She much preferred life to death. As the world quieted, so did she, her meekness now becoming almost painful to those around her. The inhabitants of the castle, save the few who had truly gotten to know her, believed her to be a fragile girl not worthy of paying much attention to. They chopped up her recent withdrawal into herself as more strange, introspective nonsense that's better ignored than fretted over.

But if anyone looked - truly looked - they would see that she was just _sad_. That her silence was out of melancholy, not inexplicable strangeness. She was quiet because she was only going through the motions, trying to play a role she had forgotten how to get into. And so she often allowed her conscious to drift when it could; she could stand by an open window for hours, simply looking out at the sea, her expression vacant but her eyes swimming with emotion.

"Did you all hear about the old king?" the voice of an old washer-woman drifted up through an open window in Elise's parlor.

 _Don't listen to them,_ she urged herself. _Their words are not meant for your ears._

"Eh?" another woman squawked, her shrill voice echoing up from the courtyard below. "He's not dead yet?"

Another woman slapped her washing against the board and made loud _shushing_ noises. "You can't say such things about the king, if the queen hears you…"

"Like that old witch isn't the one behind this, _everyone_ knows it."

The original woman made a sound in her throat. "Anyways, you heard how sick he's been, right?"

"Been locked in his room all week. I went to collect the washing a few days ago, he didn't look well," someone responded morosely.

"Irresponsible is what it is!" the shrill woman exclaimed. "He had a responsibility to provide an heir, and now we're stuck with the witch queen!"

Elise couldn't stop listening, standing in front of her open parlor window. She'd originally come to clear her mind, and to look out at the sea before her lessons begun for the day. Now she felt like a trespasser, eavesdropping on a conversation she so obviously wasn't meant to hear.

"Now, we do have Princess Elise, she's a nice girl," another chimed in.

The shrill woman snorted. "Nice girls don't win wars, they get wars fought for them. Worthless to us."

The other women made sounds of agreement as they continued their washing.

Elise's heart thudded painfully in her chest. She couldn't pretend their words didn't wound her, and she began straining her ears to pick up more, until the sound of disapproval was uttered beside her, snapping her from her current task.

"You can't fault them. They're too dense to know any better," her aging tutor said. Being so engrossed in her eavesdropping, Elise had failed to even notice someone else had entered the room.

"Professor, sir, I apologize for my rudeness," Elise said in a quiet, overly-cordial voice. "I'm ready to begin our lesson when you are."

The older man smiled generously; he'd always rather liked Elise, having been her teacher for years, and he knew that something was bothering her. And _had been_ bothering her for a while. "Apology accepted, shall we get started?" He pulled out a heavy book from a shelf and dropped it onto the table, a heavy _thunk_ resonating throughout the quiet room. "I'd thought we'd begin with a history lesson for today."

Elise knew that this was an attempt at kindness, in her rather professional teacher's odd way: she'd always expressed her fondness for history. It interested her, or at least it used to. She was finding it difficult to focus on the things she _used_ to enjoy. She had far too much to worry about nowadays.

But she couldn't tell him this, that would only do harm to her entire situation. So instead she feigned interest, smiling brightly, and allowed for his usually captivating retelling to taper off to more of an inane dribble.

And, as usual, her thoughts returned to Jason. She hadn't seen him in nearly two weeks, since his confession and his promise. Elise had promised to wait for him, that was true, but already so soon after his predicted disappearance, Elise was struggling.

She _missed_ him. And not having a clue where he was was making her worry for his safety.

Things became rather calm after Jason's hasty departure, almost disturbingly so. Her life quieted, and aside from the occasional scheduled lessons, things seemingly returned to what they had once been before (aside from her father's sudden illness, but Elise hadn't often been able to bring herself to think about that problem as of late). Before she'd met Jason and her entire world caved in on itself.

It was almost as if she'd never met a merman during a storm out at sea.

The thought greatly distressed Elise. She hadn't forgotten him - she _couldn't_ forget him, even if she had wanted to in the first place - but the darker portions of her mind toyed with the idea of _him_ forgetting about _her_.

He'd left in such a haste that despite his declaration of his affections for her, and his seemingly sincere promise, Elise found it difficult not to doubt him when he failed to meet with her the day after. And the day after that.

It was ridiculous, she knew, for her to have such fears. Jason had never proved himself to be a liar; even his disappearance adheres to the truth, he'd told her himself that he would disappear without warning, and to a human, without a trace.

" _I will always return to you."_

The words still gave the young princess chills, the very memory always enough to chase away her demons. He was fighting for her, not fleeing from her. She simply wasn't used to having people fight for her, she supposed. He was offering her everything he could and she would wait for him; the absolute least she could do was honor her tiny vow, which paled in comparison to Jason's.

She only wished she could do more.

Not for the first time, Elise bitterly regarded her lack of knowledge and resources. She wished that Jason could have told her what his plans entailed - perhaps she could have provided assistance in some way - but he'd explained that he couldn't, because he didn't _have_ a plan. This worried Elise more than the possibility of Jason leaving her: him getting hurt for her. He was strong and intelligent, but his lack of preparedness pared with his self-assurance may prove deadly, in the wrong situation.

Elise gave up entirely on her lesson, receding further and further into her own paranoid thoughts until it ended and she was finally free to go once again.

There were so many possibilities and questions that raced through Elise's mind in the weeks that followed Jason's departure, continuing in a familiar cycle of emotional anguish. She sat on her rock out at sea every day, every second she could, simply staring out at the calm blue waters, thinking and waiting.

 _Where was he?_

 _Was he thinking of her too?_

 _Was he safe?_

But the ocean never answered her questions. It was calm, blue, always constant, yet forever shifting unbeknownst to humankind.

And it terrified her.

* * *

Consciousness was achieved in levels. Vaguely, the young man thought, drifting in and out of the physical world as he was, that it was rather like ascending up from the pits of Hell; he didn't know where, but he could swear to have read a story about that. It seemed like a dream. He wasn't quite certain it was true.

 _I guess I'll have to write it,_ he thought, although his thoughts were absurdly unrelated to his current situation. He was having the most difficult time concentrating on much of anything.

But he didn't have time for that now. The circles of Hell would sadly have to wait. He was feeling far too scattered to stay on that train of thought for long.

The first level he met was pain: terrible, pounding pain. If his waking hours hadn't been so agonizing, he may have been amused by how familiar pain always is; even emerging from nothingness, the feeling caused memories to bubble up to the surface of black water.

It was too dark, though. It just bubbled and he reached, _reached_ for them, but always came up empty handed. _It was too dark_. He'd have to float some more and wait.

Sleep wasn't as peaceful as he'd have hoped, though; his dreams were too busy to make him feel rested, and too confusing for him to glean much information from them. Everything felt too heavy and dense and blurry. He recognized a voice, briefly, but then it was gone again.

The pain subsided eventually, but that only frustrated him further. He needed to wake up, but his eyes were too heavy and his head was still pounding. His skull was squeezing his brain too hard, or at least that's what he had theorized.

Everything was wrong. He would just keep floating.

* * *

"It's such a lovely day, don't you agree, _sister_?"

Elise straightened slightly, having slumped into her seat in the carriage without noticing it. Vincent, wearing his usual arrogant sneer, allowed the ghost of a smile to tug at his lips, his fine features narrowing condescendingly at her. Elise fought the urge to shiver under his gaze; he truly did look at her as though she were a pleasant meal rather than the Princess of Denmark.

"Yes, lovely," she idly agreed, flashing an unconvincing smile before allowing her gaze to trail back over the side of the carriage, and back down to the sea.

It had been her step-mother's idea to go into town that morning. Queen Emma had sent for Elise before she'd even dressed for the day, a fact that Elise regarded with disdain. She hadn't even had the chance to break her fast before being hustled unceremoniously out the door and into a carriage.

To an outsider, the sudden family day trip (minus her father, of course; the King had been feeling under the weather since the change in seasons) must have seemed like the Queen's attempt to comfort Elise. The woman had claimed that she simply didn't wish to waste such fine weather.

"Although getting you out of that stuffy palace is surely a plus," the woman had added in an undertone.

Elise knew better than to fall for the caring step-mother act, however convincing it may seem. Queen Emma was rather odd in the way she treated her step-daughter: she would comfort the girl, feigning genuine care, and then she would subtly strike out, using her wits to assert dominance over Elise. Queen Emma, Elise knew, was a woman who'd allowed her ambitions to overshadow any compassionate instincts she once may have possessed. She doubted the woman truly even cared for her own son, let alone her step-daughter.

No, this trip's sole purpose was to give Elise a false sense of security around them. The Queen was attempting to appeal to the girl's isolation and apparent loneliness through the promise of a _new_ , _whole_ family. One that spent time together during hardships such as this one.

The attempt was rather pitifully obvious, but then again, Emma had always underestimated Elise. Even when she overestimated her, the woman truly didn't appreciate Elise's particular intelligence and skillsets. As limited as her abilities may range, however, Elise knew that her step-mother's poor assessment of those abilities may be her undoing. Emma's world relied on her being quick, on her mind placing her ten steps ahead of everyone else. The woman was a tactical genius in court; she'd undone more nobility than Elise cared to keep track of, and she silenced any mutinous whispers as quickly as she discovered them. In a game like that, not understanding your opponents led to mistakes down the line.

Queen Emma executed a lot of _heretics_ ; when Elise was younger, she'd assumed that the woman was a devout Christian, but she now suspected that Emma had simply been using that as an excuse to get rid of people when they became inconvenient for her. No matter how well-loved a person was, no one would question the verdict of a heretic, lest they be labelled enemies of the faith themselves. Elise wasn't particularly religious, her focus always having been more on philosophers and knowledge gleaned from books, but she knew better than to vocalize such feelings. If the world loved her better for attending services occasionally, she would do so without complaint.

"When we return home today, I'll remember to send for a seamstress," Queen Emma said suddenly, once again breaking Elise from her thoughts. "Your wardrobe is unbefitting a young woman of your standing." The woman didn't say the words maliciously, her tone more that of perfect nagging motherly concern, but Elise couldn't help but be annoyed by the criticism. "You still dress like a little princess, but it's time you begin dressing like a woman and future queen."

"I suppose you're right," Elise conceded, tugging absently at the loose sleeves that billowed around her wrists. She'd chosen a maroon dress that morning in her haste; it was simple, with long trumpet sleeves and a cream-colored lace sash cinching the dress in at her waist. She'd paired it with a matching lace ribbon in her hair, the fabric loosely holding Elise's chocolate curls from her face.

"So much _potential_ ," the Queen continued. "Don't you agree, Vincent?"

Vincent set his intense, hungry gaze on Elise once again.

"Yes, how right you are, mother." Vincent said in a simpering voice. "I'm certain we can make her into a proper woman."

Elise couldn't help but flinch. There were many implications behind the strange subject matter the two had chosen, but Elise got the general message they were trying to send. Despite them not having any _proper_ power over her, they were once again asserting their ownership of her.

Elise didn't talk much for the remainder of their ride, no longer bothering to respond to the duo's barely-concealed attempts at manipulation. They would eventually strike out with their plans, but for now Elise refused to deal with them. Upon returning to the castle, Elise gently excused herself to go visit with her father.

The gossipping servants from her lesson days ago hadn't been wrong in their reports of the King's worsening condition, much to Elise's dismay.

It had been such a strange occurance, his suddenly failing health: shortly after Jason's departure, her father had begun complaining of a headache forming behind his eyes. Days later, he was struggling to stay conscious, spouting delirious accusations at whoever happened to catch him in his waking hours.

The physicians called it a sickness of the brain. According to them, not much could be done for it, and it wasn't uncommon for men of his age.

Elise hadn't truly allowed for the news to sink in entirely yet, if she were completely honest with herself. With so much already on her mind, her father's swiftly worsening condition was too much for her to deal with, and so she pushed it aside, repressing the agonizing worry and grief until she was convinced that the feelings simply didn't exist.

Floating through life was becoming much too easy for Elise. Her ability to compartmentalize any trauma was both a blessing and a curse; her repressed emotions always resurfaced eventually, having festered in the back of her mind until they were problems big enough to crush her.

Elise let herself into her father's chambers, immediately wrinkling her nose at the smell of the sickly air. She crossed the room and threw open the double doors that led out onto a balcony, letting the cool breeze stir the stagnant air before she seated herself in a comfortable chair at her father's bedside. He was caught in another fit of restless sleep, it would appear: his brow was furrowed, beads of sweat rolling off of his pale forehead.

Elise dabbed at the perspiration with her sleeve, anxious to do anything to comfort him. She had always known that her father was a rather old man, and recently his health had been questionable, but seeing him as anything but the strong and capable - albeit distant - man she'd always respected unnerved her. No matter how much she expected it, she couldn't accept it.

It was too suspiciously timed: the King had just announced his intention to make Elise his heir, and word was circulating around court that marriage prospects would be considered. No matter how often the physicians explained that his hallucinations and violent bouts of paranoia were common signs of a sick mind, Elise couldn't help but look for someone to blame. There _had_ to be an explanation for such a strong man falling apart in a little over a week.

"Katherine?" her father croaked, his eyes blinking open to wearily stare up at her. Her father's eyes, once a brilliant shade of green not unlike her own, now seemed dull and glazed.

Elise didn't feel the need to correct him. In a state like his, arguing with what he perceived to be the truth was just a silly waste of energy. Plus, it did nothing but agitate her father, which usually sent him into another paranoid episode.

So instead, she just stroked his hair back soothingly, _shushing_ him gently. "It's alright," she told him.

"Kat," he wheezed in relief, a tiny, hopeful smile washing over his face. Elise felt tears well up in her eyes. "Why did you go?"

Elise swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump in her throat so that she could speak. "I'm sorry I had to leave," she said in a small voice, her father looking up at her with soft, loving eyes. They were unfocused though, as if he were looking through her rather than at her. "I won't leave you again," she promised.

Tears began to leak out of her father's eyes, and he let out a little choked sob. "It's so hard without you, Kat," he cried, his voice so tremulous that Elise struggled to understand him. "I've made Elise hate me."

Elise allowed herself to cry. "N-no, you know that isn't true," she told him fiercely. "Elise loves you."

Her father continued to quietly sob, anguish etched into his features. "I can't force her, Emma!" he choked out.

Elise frowned in concern, her own face still wet with tears. He was starting to work himself up again; seeing him so hurt and guilty over the recent developments in their relationship pained her. She'd hardly seen her father in the time between their dinner weeks ago and his decline in health. To be fair, she hardly saw her father regularly, but she knew that she'd also been avoiding him, attempting to get out of further discussions of her engagement.

 _"We must put Denmark above our own personal comforts,"_ her father's voice internally reminded her. She suddenly felt so selfish: her father had clearly been avoiding the discussion of her engagement for fear of upsetting her, but he knew that a King was needed to stabilize a Queen. Rather than attempting to understand his love for their country, she'd only worried about herself.

"I understand, father," Elise assured him. "You don't have to force me, I understand."

King Frederik's tears began to slow, leaving his breathing ragged as he obviously struggled to retain consciousness.

"Kat," he murmured, his eyes drifting shut and a small smile once again ghosting over his features. "Kat, you've come back for me."

* * *

 _Where did the water go?_

The water wasn't black anymore and he couldn't float, but he _scratched_. Grit bore into his softened skin in a way that was unfamiliar to him. His head wasn't being squeezed as badly anymore, the pain in his head having dulled to a steady throbbing rather than an insistent pounding on his temples.

Uncertainly, he forced his eyes open, blinking quickly to dispel some of the dry sand in his eyes. His mouth felt hot and dry, and he touched his sticky tongue to the roof of his mouth several times in an attempt to get rid of the unpleasant, unfamiliar sensation.

 _This still isn't right,_ he decided. _Where the hell am I?_

His senses returned as he tried to orient himself. The ringing in his ears faded to reveal the heavy sound of rushing water, his eyes adjusting to take in a rocky shoreline illuminated in pale silver light. The air smelt like saltwater and felt cold against his bare skin.

He gripped a nearby rock, using it to force himself up to a standing position. Or at least what he assumed would be a standing position: he managed to prop up enough to balance on his knees before the world started to spin and he tipped backwards with a small _plop_ as his rear landed on the sand still touched by the waves.

He felt decidedly queasy after his first attempt, taking a minute or so to steady himself again before gripping the rock and trying a second time.

This time he made it to his feet, but his legs shook when he tried to put so much sudden weight on them, sending him back down to the ground a bit harder than after his previous attempt.

Now on his back, he stared up at the night sky until the world stopped spinning again.

"Not so easy, eh tough guy?" a small voice squeaked near his ear. The boy jerked violently away from the sound, letting out a wheeze that must've been intended to be a shout, only his voice was too hoarse.

He sat himself up, leaning his back against the rock he'd been using and looking around for the source of the talking, frowning when he found no one there.

"Woah man, where's your shell?"

His attention snapped down to the ground near where his head had been, a rather large hermit crab looking back up at him. He just blinked back down at it, unsure of what to say. Did hermit crabs talk? He couldn't remember. He couldn't even remember how he knew what a hermit crab _was_ , he realized with a frown.

 _My shell..?_ The boy glanced down at his tanned skin, but he didn't note anything out of the ordinary. Not that he would have been able to notice any peculiarities; he didn't even remember if he was supposed to have a shell or not.

His confusion must have been evident on his face, because the little face beneath an orange shell twitched in annoyance. "What, you roll in from stupid town?" he snapped with impatience. "Your shell. Clothes. You know, that thing humans tend to prefer to public nudity." The boy nodded down at the grab as if he understood, but the furrowing in his brow and his distant expression suggested otherwise. The hermit crab sighed heavily, wishing his subconscious wasn't forcing him to stick around and help the poor sap. He was _such_ a good person. Besides, most humans couldn't understand him well enough to appreciate his wit, so he was greatly curios as to why Naked Boy heard him in the first place. "Name's Jahni. What's your deal, anyways? Isn't it a little cold to go for a naked swim in the middle of the night?"

The boy's cheeks colored slightly. "I… I don't know."

"Reeaalllll helpful, buddy," Jahni said dryly. "Well, can we at least get a name?"

"Name?" the boy paused, his brow furrowing in confusion again as he strained to remember.

"Let me guess. You don't know that either."

Judging by the boy's silence, Jahni was right.

"Well, then I guess the first step is to find you a shell. No one's gonna help you out if you come at them like that," Jahni stated bossily. "Wanna try that whole standing thing again, Naked Boy?"

Jahni watched with mild amusement as the slippery human attempted to push himself up to his feet using a rock for support. Naked Boy failed miserably a couple of times, but not enough for it to stop being funny, so Jahni actually didn't mind this wait.

 _Poor sap, probably washed up from a shipwreck or something,_ Jahni thought.

Although that didn't quite explain the boy's ability to talk to crabs. Usually it was only those arrogant half-breed fishfolk that could understand him.

 _Maybe he just doesn't remember that he isn't supposed to be able to talk to hermit crabs?_ Jahni thought, only half joking, as Naked Boy finally succeeded in standing. He looked a little ridiculous, lurching forward uncertainly on shaking legs, but hey, whatever got the job done.

"Pretty sure one of the humans stows a blanket out here somewhere, pick me up and walk around the corner, alright?"

Naked Boy did as he was told, bending and holding out a large hand in front of Jahni so that he could scuttle onto the palm before he lifted himself back upright and began walking where Jahni directed him. As usual, the hermit crab was right; he'd seen the girl who sits out on the rocks leave the fabric there, taking it out with her to her usual location when the weather was too cold.

 _Humans_ , Jahni scoffed internally. _Sand and water are all I need._

Naked Boy placed Jahni down on a nearby rock so that he could wrap the blanket around his waist tightly, tucking the corner of the fabric in to keep it in place.

 _I guess he's Half-Naked Boy now._

Said boy was now squinting in concentration again, staring forward towards the water. "I know this place," he murmured. "Where are we?"

"Denmark, buddy. About as Denmark as it gets too, you've landed on palace grounds."

"Palace… Grounds..?" he trailed off again.

Jahni sighed. He might have to ditch this guy, the memory thing wasn't nearly as fun or interesting as he'd thought it was gonna be.

 _Wait, were those footsteps?_ Jahni thought suddenly, perking up at the sound of light footfalls coming down the stairs.

"Naked Boy, get down!" Jahni hissed. "Someone's coming!"

The boy crouched down obediently behind the rock Jahni was sitting on, causing the crab to roll his eyes. _Gee, what a totally-not-obvious hiding place!_

Oh well, too late to worry about that now: the girl who had hidden the blanket stepped softly down into the sand, her bottom lip clenched between her teeth and her eyes cast down at the ground. For a moment, Jahni thought that the girl might just walk by them without noticing.

Until, of course, the half-naked absolute _oaf_ of a man stood up and stared at her, causing her to jump slightly and let out a surprised gasp.

 _Oh brother… This kid is toast! I give him ten seconds before she's probably gonna start screaming about a naked pervert on palace grounds, I should ditch this loser before I get caught up in this._

 _"J… Jason?"_ the girl whispered incredulously, staring at Jahni's newfound companion with a wide-eyed, stupefied look on her face. "Is that really you?"

Half-Naked - erm, Jason - still had that stupid confused look on his face.

"I don't… I mean, I _can't_ …" Jason stammered.

The girly little brunette now also looked confused, her green eyes still opened wide in surprise and her head now cocked slightly to the side as she waited for Jason to finish his broken sentence. She seemed eager, expectant, even a bit relieved to see the boy standing before her, but when he finally spoke, those emotions drained as quickly from her face as the blood had.

 _"Who are you?"_

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I apologize for any errors, as always; I didn't go through my usual editing process with this chapter because I was eager to get it posted after such a long and unexpected hiatus. I tried to cover quite a bit of ground here so I hope it doesn't seem too rushed or confusing; I really just wanted to get the ball rolling after so much setup. Also, Jason's situation and what happened while he was gone will be revealed slowly, so I would expect that bit of the plot to be a little confusing right now! We did get to meet Jahni though, the sassy hermit crab. So yeah, review if you can!**


	10. Chapter 10

**:-)**

* * *

 **Crashing Waves**

 **Chapter Ten**

* * *

Jahni twitched his eyes back and forth between the rather interesting duo. The hermit crab couldn't help but be surprised by the girl's reaction: rather than being rightfully taken aback by a sandy nudist wrapped up in her blanket, she hardly seemed to notice that pressing issue, or at least if she did, she wasn't showing it. The girl just looked downright distraught at Jason's question, her face pale and eyes wide.

"I found him washed up on shore, can't remember a thing," Jahni piped up helpfully, but the girl didn't seem to hear him. She didn't even seem to notice his important presence until the oaf glanced down at the rock and she followed his gaze.

"Hey big guy, the chick can't understand me. Be a doll and translate, would ya?"

Jason frowned down at the crab before returning his intense, disoriented gaze to the girl. "You can't hear Jahni?"

If Jahni had a forehead to slap, he'd be slapping it by now. _That doesn't sound crazy at all_ , he mocked internally. _Seriously, how do I know more about humans than this kid?_

The girl quirked one of her defined, well-sculpted brows. Jahni figured she must be royalty of some sort: your average Danish girl didn't look so perfectly polished, but he'd overheard people on the beach talking about how the posers who hang around court had specialized servants just to attend to their own vanity. Preposterous. If Jahni didn't warrant that kind of attention, no one did.

"Um, Jahni..?" she trailed off uncertainly.

"Jahni," Jason agreed in a spectacularly unhelpful way. "The hermit crab."

The girl frowned slightly down at Jahni, but in the end just nodded as if her question had actually been answered. Merlin, these guys were some serious weirdos. If he weren't so curious as to what their deal was, he would've scuttled off long ago.

"Ah, yes, of course," she murmured more to herself than anyone else, scrunching up her face as if in thought. "I… You must be freezing," she said eventually, taking Jason's state of undress into account for the first time. She didn't seem particularly bothered by it.

Either these two know each other really well, or this girl's just pleased enough by the half-naked muscle man gleaming in the moonlight that she's ignoring the impropriety of it. _Even teenage royals could appreciate some eye candy, it would seem_ , Jahni thought, letting out an audible snort. He was damn funny sometimes. Jason frowned down at his body, once again looking hopelessly confused. It was kind of sad to see, if Jahni was entirely honest, and judging by the worried expression on the girl's face, she agreed.

"I'll get you something to wear," she promised him, her voice softening to something more comforting than her initial shocked tone had been. "I can't risk anyone within the palace discovering you though, so could you and Jahni please wait for me here?"

Jason, displaying some almost pathetic levels of emotional vulnerability, visibly latched onto her kind, familiar words, blue eyes widening when the girl turned to leave. "Wait!" he exclaimed suddenly, stopping the girl in her tracks. She turned back to face them, tilting her head in a way that suggested she was listening. "Who - how do we know each other?" he asked.

The girl's perfect posture wilted slightly, and her expressive face fell.

"My name is Elise Adeler," she told him in a quiet voice, lips quirking up in a fake smile that didn't reach her eyes. "And… I suppose you could say we're friends."

"Elise…" the boy trailed off. Faint recognition fluttered over his features, but he soon became slightly agitated, suggesting that his memories of Elise were out of reach.

The girl excused herself again, reminding Jason to await her swift return. Naked Boy looked even more lost without the girl, but Jahni was too preoccupied with his own shock to care much about _that_ emotional wreck.

Jahni liked to be in the know; having lived on this particular stretch of beach for so long, Jahni knew a great deal more about the inner workings of the human world than most sea creatures did simply by listening into every conversation he could. That being said, he certainly recognized the name Elise Adeler.

"Naked Boy, how the hell do you know the Princess of Denmark?!"

* * *

Elise was already up the stairs and entering the castle when the dreadful severity of her recent encounter truly set in.

Jason had made himself human. She wasn't sure how, but the young man had certainly not had legs the last she'd seen him, and she could only assume that this change was intentional on his part. Or at least it had been, but it appears any and all intentions he once had were now gone, at least temporarily.

Jason didn't remember who he was. Jason didn't remember who she was.

That disturbed her more than his transformation had; she hadn't been certain what Jason's plan had been when he departed weeks ago, but it could well have been to somehow transform himself into a human. It made sense, if she thought about it objectively: if he wanted to protect her from humanity, it would be easiest to do so as a human. However, she couldn't help but feel angry. In her weeks of worry, the idea of Jason's recklessness, unpreparedness, and slight (although rather charming) arrogance getting him injured - or worse, killed - had certainly been on the top of her list of anxieties. Right beside her fear for her father's condition. He shouldn't have done this for her, and it made her angry that he would have put himself in so much obvious danger for her. He had done something - he must have, it was simply too convenient that he lost his memories and sprouted legs at the same time - to himself in order to reach this state, and Elise didn't quite appreciate it. She regretted accepting his help in the first place - all she'd done was cause him grief. However relieved she was to see him, this situation terrified her.

 _What if he can't recover his memories?_

Guilt threatened to overwhelm her. This was the last thing she wanted; he wasn't doing her any favors by putting himself in danger for her. Elise would rather suffer than be the cause of Jason's demise. She could endure everything, even without Jason in her life, so long as she knew that he was happy and safe.

Now, he was anything but happy, and Elise knew he wasn't safe. If Queen Emma found out about Jason and their (rather undefined) relationship, she would squash him like a bug to ensure her son's future with Elise, especially given the current state of Jason's mind. And Emma would certainly use his suffering against her, too. The thought of someone she cared about being tortured and held captive because of her positively haunted her, but that would definitely be Emma's course of action. The woman valued control, and if control over the heir to the Danish throne could be achieved through a hostage, she wouldn't hesitate.

And, Queen aside, Jason may be in danger from a third party that Elise had no way of knowing about; without his memories of how he became a human, or who had turned him into a human, had that been the case, she had no way of anticipating the actions of a possible enemy. Despite how jaded it made her sound, Elise did nowadays think that most people had ulterior motives, and depending on a person's motivation, they could be dangerous. If Jason had accepted assistance from someone, it was a safe assumption that he'd been transformed to become a piece in someone else's game. She didn't like doubting Jason's competence, but no one was ever safe from deception.

Elise just felt tired, hopeless, and so very worried for the safety of Jason. She hated being so weak that she couldn't protect those that she cared about. Her father was suffering and she could do nothing. Jason had undergone some sort of trauma in order to help her, and still she could do nothing substantial to help him. But she didn't have time to dwell on recent misfortunes; Jason was still shivering on the beach with nothing but a hermit crab for protection.

The princess briefly toyed with the absurdity of talking about a hermit crab like a person, but it was only safe to assume that Jason had retained his ability to speak with sea creatures. With so much on her mind, Jason making a hermit crab friend (no matter how large and unsettling Elise had initially found the creature) wasn't exactly a pressing issue.

 _Dry clothes. Finding dry clothes is what matters now._ Elise would have to take things one step at a time, lest she overwhelm herself and become truly useless to everyone she loved.

Elise took the quiet back corridors reserved for servants, as she usually did, to avoid running into anyone from court who may threaten her plans. Allowing her feet to guide her by memory, Elise entered the small courtyard that her parlor overlooked; the washing was normally done here, since the space was hardly ever used by nobility. Sure enough, there were several clotheslines with various shirts, pants, and underthings flipping delicately in the breeze. Elise hastily grabbed the first set of men's clothes she could find that appeared to be in Jason's size. Erring on the side of caution, she was sure to select clothes that, if anything, would be too large for Jason. It wouldn't do for her to return to the beach only to find that the former merman was unable to button his shirt.

Elise's next stop was to her own chambers. Still wearing the maroon dress from her morning ride with Vincent and Emma, Elise withdrew a large hooded cloak from her wardrobe. It was a simple thing, black and sturdy, that she had gotten last winter, and it would hopefully hide her identity well enough that no one would recognize her outside of the palace. Shrugging it on, Elise grabbed a few moderately fine necklaces, unceremoniously clenching the glittering jewels in her fist and depositing them into the pocket of her cloak. It was always easy to bribe someone with jewels, and she had a feeling that she may have to resort to bribery at some point. At least she'd been careful to select ones that no one would associate with her: Elise had been gifted with many necklaces throughout the years, all of which were expensive, but most were nondescript enough to have value without it seeming too suspicious. Elise hoped to pass for a regular highborn lady, but not for a princess.

 _I need to take Jason somewhere safe,_ Elise thought as she hurried back out the door and into the servant's corridors once again. _Somewhere that can offer discretion without being vulnerable to Emma's influence._

A rather unpleasant thought crossed her mind, causing her to outwardly grimace. She had an idea: it wasn't ideal, but it was certainly better than nothing.

* * *

Elise returned relatively quickly, despite how long the wait had felt to Jason. He had feared that she would never return, and that he'd been lost on the beach with no one but a hermit crab to guide him. Not that Jason particularly disliked the orange-shelled creature - he was good company, if a bit rude at times - but he doubted they would achieve much of anything.

"Here, I've brought you something to wear," Elise said in a slightly breathless tone, her face flushed from rushing around in the cold. She handed him a stack of fabric, which he took uncertainly and frowned down at it.

Certain things seemed familiar to him; it was a frustrating feeling, but seeing the rocks out at sea and hearing the name Elise had given his brain a jolt, like the memories tied to them were trying to reach him, and Jason just couldn't get a good enough grip on them. The clothes didn't elicit any semblance of a response, however, and so he just stared stupidly down at them, a bit ashamed to admit that he had no idea what they were for. Elise gave him a strange look before the realization dawned on her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Of course, I'm sorry…" She trailed off awkwardly, unsure of what to do but reluctant to dress him herself.

Jahni made an impatient sound. "Seriously? You can't even put your own shell on?" The crab sighed heavily, Elise still unaware that Jahni was even speaking, which Jason thought was sort of odd: Jahni had a squeaky voice, but he was loud and opinionated enough for Jason to always hear him. "Tell the girl to relax and turn around, I can tell you what goes where."

Jason nodded, feeling a little embarrassed, though he wasn't really sure why. That was a common theme for him, it would seem - feeling and knowing things without understanding them.

"Jahni can show me," Jason told Elise, his voice still scratchy due to his dry throat. He wondered if there was anything that could be done for that, it was getting kind of uncomfortable, and he was still sort of dizzy. Elise looked uncertainly from the crab to him. "He says for you to turn around and he can explain it to me."

The girl did as she was told and Jahni began impatiently instructing him. He tugged brown fabric over his legs, a white ' _shirt'_ with buttons going on after. The buttons were still giving him a bit of trouble when Elise turned back around.

The girl, noticing that he'd covered himself, stepped towards him uncertainly, blinking wide green eyes up at him while he frowned down at his shirt.

"Here, let me help you with that," she said quietly, gently tugging the shirt from his clumsy hands and undoing his work with deft, quick fingers. "You've mismatched the buttons," she informed him with an amused chuckle. Once again, Jason was unsure of what she meant by that, but she was already refastening the buttons by the time he thought so ask about it, so he just decided to stay silent.

He instead just turned his attention to the girl in front of him: she was close to him, and Jason thought he'd recognized a faint, sweet scent coming off of her when a breeze tousled her brown hair. She was also kind of short, if he were entirely honest; she had to tiptoe just to do the buttons near his throat, but she still left a few undone. Strange.

Her face inclined upwards to look at him when she was finished. _She's pretty_ , he realized in a detached sort of way. Her eyes were a bright shade of green, defined by dark eyelashes, with a small, upturned nose and full pink lips. Her complexion was clear aside from the faint freckles that spattered her cheeks and nose, her cheeks flushed slightly from the cold.

"Excellent," she said, giving him a brief once-over, and nodding in approval. "I'm sorry I was only able to find socks, but you'll have to do without shoes for now. Once we've found a place for you to stay that won't matter, anyways."

He didn't know why he'd possibly need _more_ clothes than what he already had on, but he decided not to press the issue. Elise was familiar, he felt he could trust her, but his mind offered no hints beyond her and the ocean. He just shrugged in response, unsure of what to say.

"I believe I've an idea for where you can stay."

Panic jolted through him. "Can't I stay with you?"

Elise's eyes widened, a pink flush coming to her cheeks as she adverted her gaze. "I'm afraid there isn't much _discretion_ where I live," she explained hastily. "I'll stay with you for as long as I can, don't worry."

He sighed heavily before nodding. He didn't like it, but what choice did he have?

"Jahni, are you coming?" he asked, his voice dull and flat.

The hermit crab twitched irritably. "Heck no, good luck with all that, buddy. Nothing's worth leavin' this beach, if you ask me. I'll see you around, Naked Boy."

Jason's mouth quirked to the side as his new friend scuttled off into the dark, but he simply shrugged when he turned back to look at Elise, dwarfed by her clothes, looking small and pink in the cold; if you asked him, some things were worth leaving the beach for.

* * *

The place she'd left him in was much more uncomfortable than the beach.

It was dark, lit dim with scented candles, the air heavy with perfumed smoke, further polluted by the sounds of pleasure faintly echoing from the further recesses of the building. Several women, of various ages and colors, looked at him as they'd crossed the room in such a way that it made him uncomfortable, and he trained his gaze at Elise's shoes instead, allowing her to guide him through the uncomfortable space.

Elise didn't take her hood down the entire time, which Jason found odd as it obscured her face, but the woman she spoke to didn't seem to mind. All it took was a flash of sparkle, pulled from the depths of her clothing, to pique the woman's interest. After a couple moments of discussion, the likes of which Jason was too distracted and exhausted to hear, he was being gently tugged down several hallways by Elise. The woman, who Elise later identified as the owner of the establishment, was named Madam Marie; she was a tall, dark woman with dark features. Her age did little to diminish the odd, exotic beauty she possessed.

Madam Marie led them to a discreet back hallway on the second floor, passing door after closed door until stopping at the end and opening the door with an old key. She gestured for the two to enter the room before her, a wide smile transfixed onto her face. Jason found the glint in her brown eyes to be unsettling.

Elise investigated the room with caution, almost like she was afraid to touch anything. Madam Marie simply stood in the doorway with her smiling face.

"I hope you find everything is to your liking?" Madam Marie said, her voice deep, with rich undertones of an accent unlike Jason's. He decided he liked her voice.

"Yes, this will do, thank you," Elise responded curtly and in an oddly cold tone.

Madam Marie nodded. "If you change your mind, I assure you _other_ work could be arranged-"

" _NO_ _other work_ ," Elise cut her off, her voice practically a hiss. "The terms we've arranged, nothing more, nothing less."

"As you wish," the older woman said in cool politeness before backing out of the room. With the thick wooden door shut, the room fell very quiet. The sounds of merriment all around them could still be heard, but it was a sound fainter than the gentle popping of the candles. It was almost a pleasant hum, and Jason suddenly found his eyelids very heavy; he stifled a yawn.

Elise poured him water from a basin in the corner, leading him to the bed to sit before placing it in his hands. Jason sipped it at first, unsure, before downing it in several desperate gulps, a great deal spilling onto his fresh shirt. Elise laughed gently – she sounded rather tired as well, Jason noted with faint concern – and dabbed at the water with the sleeve of her cloak, shrugging the heavy garment off when she was finished.

"Easy now, you'll make yourself sick like that," she scolded half-heartedly before pouring him another glass. Jason heeded her advice this time, feeling a bit embarrassed, taking slow, careful mouthfuls.

They were quiet for a time after that, Elise sitting in a chair in front of his seat on the mattress, her green eyes unfocused and glassy, like she was miles away. Jason wasn't quite sure what to think about – there were so many places for his mind to wander, all it could _do_ at this point was wander – so he thought about Elise.

She felt familiar, something he didn't understand, but at the same time understood entirely; it was difficult to explain. Something about her was easy for his brain to wrap around, and he found himself drawn to her, as though her very presence put his frazzled mind at ease. He was very grateful that the young woman had found him on the beach, as he was now warm and dry, with the uncomfortable parch in his throat receding, but he couldn't help feeling curious and excited at the prospect of uncovering his relation to this mystery maiden.

Jahni had explained to him that she was a rather powerful person in the land he'd washed up on. She was a _princess_ , legitimate royalty and the first and only heir to King Frederick. How could _she_ have known _him_? Without her, after all, he wouldn't even know his own name.

"Elise, can I ask you a question?"

The petite brunette in question jumped at the unexpected breach in silence. "Y-yes, of course!"

"How do you know me?"

Elise's posture wilted, her expression crumbling and her emerald eyes drifting down to the floor. Jason immediately regretted upsetting her, his heart pounding uncomfortably as his mind fumbled around for a solution.

"...I, um, it's rather hard to explain," she said quietly before Jason could apologize. "It's a bit awkward to explain, rather." Her cheeks colored pink as she cringed. "I'm sorry, it must be very uncomfortable for _you_ not knowing who I am, it's silly to make this about myself... It's always easiest to tell the truth, in the end; I'll try my best to explain."

Jason nodded, unsure of what to say. He instead watched her with intensity as she flustered herself. She fanned at her reddened face, taking a deep breath before beginning.

"I've always lived in the palace. The place where I found you was palace grounds, and that's the beach I met you on months ago. We met on a rock out at sea during a storm…" Elise smiled fondly at the memory, and Jason found himself so suddenly floored by the sight of her that he had to gulp to regain composure. "You saved me: I couldn't swim and was terrified of storms, and you got me back to shore. We started meeting there every day we could after that.

"What started out as swimming lessons quickly evolved into, well, something _else_. I proved to be a pretty quick learner, but I enjoyed your company _, a lot_." She blushed again and sighed. "We were _very_ good friends, until one night you found me upset after a dinner I'd had with my family, and you found out I was to be engaged to my horrible step-brother Vincent. Then you – I – we kissed." Elise could no longer look him in the eye at this point, her demeanor suddenly becoming rather meek. Jason was glad for it though, as he himself was experiencing a series of personal shocks.

"That was the last night I saw you. You, _ah_ , told me to wait for you and disappeared for weeks after."

"How could I disappear?" Jason suddenly interjected, his brow furrowed.

"That… Well, as hard as this may be to believe, y-you didn't have _legs_ last I saw you."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, _what_?!"

Elise laughed nervously, tugging at the ends of her hair seemingly out of habit. "Well, you see, you told me of your home _under the sea_. In a place called Atlantis. That's how you were able to save me from the storm – this is the first I've seen you able to _walk_."

Jason's blood chilled in his shock. He wasn't a human before? It made sense, her story, and naïve or not he believed her entirely, without a shadow of a doubt. He seemed to maintain memories of his past like _instincts_ , things he acted on but didn't understand entirely, and his instincts thus far had proven, well, wrong in this world. Jahni's disapproval of his decision making was testament enough to that. And then there was the matter of his communication with Jahni – something Elise was unable to do, as a human from birth – because theoretically, shouldn't a merman be able to speak with his neighbors?

"Humans aren't aware of the existence of mer-people, I'm afraid," Elise continued nervously, wringing her hands as she attempted to gauge his reaction. "So I don't know much more than what you'd told me."

"It's okay," Jason assured her quietly, his brow still tensed in thought. "I believe what you've said."

Elise sighed, looking at him with wide eyes and tilting her head to the side, as she so often did when he said something that seemed to surprise her. "I'm glad," she told him, flashing another smile that made his heart pound.

"So, we were... Lovers?" he asked uncertainly, his ignorance shielding him from most embarrassment.

Elise's eyes widened, her pink lips parting in surprise. "I suppose so, tentatively, at least."

Jason began to process what he'd just been told - it was certainly a lot to take in. They remained in a comfortable silence for some time before Elise's gaze drifted to a high, narrow window above the bed. The sky seemed to be growing lighter.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid I have to go for a while," she said hastily, jumping to her feet and swaying as her blood rushed from the sudden movement. Jason was quick to reach out a hand to steady her, again moving as if by instinct. He stood too, only calmer than his companion, although how he did so was beyond him. The idea of Elise leaving him so soon filled him with a childlike panic.

Her expression softened at the concern in Jason's blue eyes. "I'll be back as soon as I can, the people at the palace can't know that I've been gone all night." She was already tugging her cloak back on, using the hood again to conceal her face.

"You promise you'll return?" Jason couldn't stop himself from asking; he was afraid of already losing her so soon after finding her.

Elise paused, her hand on the door handle. Jason couldn't see her face, so he was ignorant to the small smile that tugged at her tired expression, but he could hear the wistfulness in her voice, and he felt the intimacy behind her words. It sounded too familiar, in a stronger sense than the tugs at his subconscious had been before:

 _"_ I will _always_ come back to you. I'm not going to allow anything to keep me from you. _"_

Jason was silent a long while after she'd locked him in. He'd drank enough water to fill his belly and was staring at the ceiling, lying flat back on his mattress, when words simply tumbled from him, floating to the surface of his murky mind.

"And I will always wait for you," he murmured as he drifted off to a heavy sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm terrible. Off hiatus? Who knows.**

 **Thank you to those who've supported me regardless, I owe so much of my growth as a writer to you all.**


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